Closures & New Beginnings
by GSR4ever87
Summary: Sara and Grissom make a decision about their family, will additions happen? Also, a case comes along that brings the past back to one of Sara's team members, that could also mess with the future, or was it already doomed before it truly began? While the rest of the team members, including Nick and Whitney, have their own new beginnings. Sequel to Finding their way back?
1. Planning a Family?

Disclaimer: I don't own the main characters

Summary: Sara and Grissom make a decision about their family, will additions happen? Also, a case comes along that brings the past back to one of Sara's team members, that could also mess with the future, or was it already doomed before it truly began? While the rest of the team members, including Nick and Whitney, have their own new beginnings. Sequel to Finding their way back?

AN: Here is the sequel to Finding their way back, sorry for the slight delay, but now I am back and I hope you all enjoy!

Title: Closures & New Beginnings  
Genre: Romance, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Family, Case, Angst  
Rating: T  
Spoilers: Subtle mentions of Past Seasons  
Time-line: 2 weeks after last story ended (July 4, 2016)  
Warnings: Suggestive/Implied adult behavior, questionable words, Case details  
Main Parings: GSR  
Minor Parings: Kevin/OC (Past), Kevin/Nicole, Mariah/Devon, Tim/Lindsey, Nick/Whitney  
Other Characters: OC's, Stephanie, Jacob, Catherine, Greg & Morgan (Mention only)

* * *

Chapter 1: Planning a Family?

Two Weeks later

When the 4th of July rolled around two weeks later, the San Diego Team, including the boys, Carson, D.J. and Stephen, but excluding Tim since he went back to Vegas to visit Lindsey for the week, were enjoying time at the beach all through the day and evening. Then when the best fireworks were done, the group packed up and started leaving, but before Nicole and Kevin left with Carson; Stephen, who was now six, asked Grissom with a smile. "Cousin Gilbert, can me and D.J. stay with Carson tonight?"

With their parents not wanting to come here with their three week old daughter or wanting to leave her behind, Grissom and Sara offered to take the boys for a few days.

Grissom looked at Nicole with a raised eyebrow, silently asking if it's really alright with her, and she chuckled with a nod. "It's alright with me, if it's ok with you."

Then after he gets a reassuring look from Sara, Grissom looked down at his cousin and nodded with a smile. "Alright, I'll pick you two up tomorrow morning."

Both boys smiled, and after grabbing their bags from Grissom's vehicle and saying goodbye, they get into Kevin's vehicle before he drove them away, and once they were out of sight, Sara gave her husband a smile. "Well, now that we are unexpectedly without kids tonight, what do you want to do?"

He smiled in return and wrapped his arm around her shoulders and said. "I've got an idea."

She raised an eyebrow, but didn't say a word as he walked them to his vehicle.

* * *

After arriving at her apartment, Mariah placed her keys in the door and unlocked it before opening it, then she turned and smiled with her eyes twinkling at Devon. "You know for the last two weeks we've done things properly."

He smiled, getting the hint, as he cupped her cheek. "True, and we have been on how many dates now?"

She whispered back as she placed her hand on top of his. "Enough..."

She gets cut off when he whispered. "Thank God." Before his lips were on hers.

Since they came back from their trip to Vegas they haven't been intimate because they wanted to do things the right way, but after two weeks, they were ready to officially put their relationship on the next level.

They slowed down their kissing as they started to smile against one another's lips, then after they pulled back, she held out her hand and asked the same question he had asked their first night together. "Your move next."

He smiled with his eyes bright while he slipped his hand into hers, she smiled in return and walked them into her apartment, shutting the door behind them.

* * *

Once Kevin stopped his vehicle in the driveway to Nicole's house, they all get out of the vehicle before walking towards the front door, and after Nicole opened it, they boys rushed in before rushing upstairs to go into Carson's room.

Nicole and Kevin watched them until they were out of sight, then they looked at each other in silence.

Unlike the progress of Devon and Mariah's relationship, theirs still seemed to be standing still, and Kevin understood why and respected it, but he wanted them to progress a little because nothing seemed different between them other than his feelings for her were out in the open.

His thoughts get interrupted when she smiled while she spoke. "I had a good time today."

Kevin nodded with a smile. "Me too, I hope we can do it again some time, well you know without the crowd, just you, me and Carson."

She nodded in return. "Me too."

He nodded again, then after another moment or two in silence, she asked. "You want to come in?"

He was about to reply when her cell phone rang, so she pulled it out of her purse before looking at who was calling her, then she cleared her throat and said. "It's Jason's mom, I..."

Kevin cuts her off with a nod. "I understand, I'll see you at the lab tomorrow."

"Ok, I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it, have a good night."

"You too."

After one more small smile between them, Kevin turned around and started walking towards his vehicle as she answered her phone so she could talk to her mother-in law while closing the front door.

* * *

Once they arrived at the docks, Sara and Grissom got on Grissom's boat and grabbed a few drinks from the cabin before sitting down on the cushions on the top deck so they could enjoy the slight breeze.

It was a few minutes of silence before she asked as she slipped her hand on top of his. "So, now that we are alone, I can't help but say that I've felt that you've had something on your mind the last few days."

He smiled as he slipped his fingers through hers. "You caught on to that, did you?"

She smirked as she squeezed his hand lightly. "I know you, Dr. Grissom." When he looked at her with the smile still on his face, she continued after a small sigh. "It's what you are thinking that sometimes gives me concern."

Knowing where she was coming from, he nodded, then gave her a reassuring look as he replied.  
"It's nothing bad, or at least I hope it isn't in your eyes." She waited patiently for him to continue, and after a second, he did after clearing his throat. "I've been thinking about a couple of things, one being my job. I want to go back into teaching."

"Really?"

He nodded. "When I wanted to become a CSI again, I think most of it was to prove to myself that I can still do it, and I have, but now it's time I officially close that chapter of my life." He then asked softly. "So, what do you think?"

Sara cupped his cheek with her other hand and gave him a smile with her eyes bright. "I want you to do whatever makes you happy. Did I love working with you again? Absolutely. But if this is something you truly want, go for it, I'm behind you 100%"

He smiled back with a nod. "I really do, thank you."

She shook her head as she moved closer to him. "No need to thank me, babe." After they pull back from a soft kiss, she asked. "Any prospects?"

Knowing him, she knew he already had some ideas on where he wanted to teach.

"A few, I called around and they said they would get back to me soon."

She then squeezed his hand in reassurance. "And they will, they would be pretty dumb colleges if they pass you up." She then smirked with her eyes twinkling a little. "They were probably just in shock that you called them in the first place, they just needed a little more time to make sure they weren't actually dreaming the conversation."

Grissom chuckled while shaking his head. "Whatever you say, dear."

"You better believe it."

Once they calmed down, she cleared her throat before asking. "You said there were a couple of things you've been thinking about, so what's the other one?"

He spoke more softly this time. "What we talked about in Vegas, I can't stop thinking about it."

Not needing him to elaborate on that, she nodded in understanding. "I've been thinking about that a lot too."

"Yeah?" After she nodded a second time, he asked. "What do you think?" She looked into his eyes for a few seconds before looking down at their hands, then he uses his free hand and lifted her chin up so they could have eye contact again before he continued. "Why don't we say it together." She nodded in agreement a second later.

They took a few moments, both hoping they were on the same page, before they said the same thing.

"I want a child."

"I want a child."

Their eyes lit up as Sara asked with a smile. "Really?"

He nodded with a chuckle. "Yes."

They did a few kisses before they placed their foreheads together for a few minutes, then they pulled back as she spoke again. "We may be crazy doing this now, or even thinking about doing this now, but..."

He squeezed her hand as he cuts her off. "Then we'll just be crazy together." Then he slips his hand out of hers and cups her cheek as he whispered. "I hope we'll have a daughter who will be as beautiful as her mother."

Sara started to have tears in her eyes as she placed her hand on top of his. "And I hope we have a son who will be as amazing as his father."

He wiped her tears off her cheek as he continued with a smile. "Well, we may be on different pages when it comes to a boy or girl, but I believe we are in agreement that we just want him or her to be healthy and happy."

"Completely agreed."

When he sighed a few seconds later as he removed his hand, she frowned a little as she took his hand. "What's wrong? You're not already having second thoughts are you?"

He shook his head. "No, but you know it may not be as easy for us, and you realize that by the time our child is old enough for college, providing we aren't delayed too much, I'll be..."

She cuts him off as she cups his cheek and runs her thumb up and down it. "Then we'll do whatever we have to make it happen for us." He knew to never doubt her word when she became determined, so he just nodded before she continued softly. "And as for how old you'll be, I don't care what anybody thinks, you'll be the father, and a pretty damn good one."

"And so will you, a mother I mean."

She chuckled a little, then she sighed as she finished. "I hope so, I'm still a little nervous about that part."

Grissom nodded as he ran his thumb and down her cheek again. "Me too, but we'll learn together, you won't be alone in this, I'm with you every step of the way."

She took a breath with a nod and smile. "Ok, then I guess we are officially trying now."

He slowly smiled as he responded. "I guess so."

After a few deep kisses they pulled back and she shivered a little, so he gave her a concerned look as he asked. "You cold?"

She nodded as she stood up, but before he could speak, she held out her hand with a smile and twinkle in her eyes as she replied. "And I know a way you can warm me up."

His eyes started twinkling as he stood up, taking her hand, then after cupping her cheek, he whispered. "I love you."

"I love you too, babe."

They kissed softly one more time before walking towards the cabin of the boat.

* * *

AN: Interested in more? Let me know, I hope you enjoy the rest of your week. Please Review.


	2. 10 Days later

AN: Warning: Implied/Suggestive adult behavior, crime scene details, & a few questionable words. Thanks for the reviews and support, here is the next chapter, I hope it reads ok.

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Chapter 2: 10 Days later

As Sara's pleasant dream was coming to an end, she slowly woke up and turned her head to see her husband laying on his side with his head on the palm of his hand as his elbow was on the mattress, he also had a smile on his face with his eyes twinkling, so she couldn't help but smile back as she asked. "What's with you? Did you have a good dream or something?"

"No, can't a husband just smile while seeing his beautiful wife wake up next to him."

She couldn't help but blush a little as his comment, then she moved closer to him and cupped his cheek before whispering. "With comments like that you know I can't resist."

"And I'm not stop..."

He was cut off when her lips touched his, which when that happens, unless they were pressed for time, it was deepened a second later as they moved so his back was on the mattress while she was on top of him, but before they took things further, she whispered. "How much time before we have to get up and get ready for work?"

He kisses her softly and pulls back a little as he opens his eyes to look at her, which both of them were slightly darkened from the passion swirling in them, then he whispered softly. "That depends on what you want for breakfast, Mrs. Grissom."

She spoke in a soft, yet passionate tone as she ran her hand down his chest. "I think you know what I want, Dr. Grissom."

He closed his eyes as she leaned down and started kissing his neck, and after a few seconds, not able to take it anymore, he rolled them over, making her gasp a little, then smiled when he was above her with a smile of his own. "Then we'll make sure it's a fast breakfast."

She smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and brought him down to her, whispering one more time. "Excellent." Before their lips touched in a passionate kiss that lead to them finally taking things further.

* * *

Before Shift

Once they had their showers and breakfast, they were ready to leave the apartment and head to the lab, and when they got there, which was a little bit later than they usual did, Grissom dropped his things in the locker room while Sara went to her office to get the new assignments.

When Sara walked into the break room, the team was already in there, and Tim couldn't help but smirk when he saw his boss walk in the room. "Usually you're in here before us. Running a little late this morning, are you?"

Sara smirked back with her eyes twinkling, also seeing Grissom smiling in the corner of her eye. "Maybe, let's just say breakfast took longer than expected, and before you asked, yes I enjoyed it very much." Grissom just about chocked on his coffee as the rest of team smiled, getting it, then Sara cleared her throat and continued with a smile. "Now enough details about my morning, I have a few announcements to make." She took a second before continuing. "First off, Dr. Grissom has officially signed in his resignation, so he won't be working on anything new."

Grissom had gotten a call from the San Diego State University, so he will officially be a teacher again once the new school year stars, but he has to stick around the lab so he could finish the few open cases he had left.

Mariah looked a little sad about the unexpected news, and was about to speak, but Grissom did before she could. "I'll also be doing some seminars, mostly around the area, and maybe up in LA so I don't have to travel far. Plus, I'm only a phone call away if any of you needs me to answer a few questions."

Everybody knew that he was saying that more to Mariah then them, but they still nodded with smiles, and Mariah smiled too as she replied. "Thank you Grissom."

As Grissom nodded, Sara spoke again while Nick walked into the room, making the team sit up straighter in their chairs. "And last but certainty not least, we have a promotion to announce." She then looked Mariah with a smile. "Mariah Owens, you've been an asset since you've been here, and I'm proud to be your boss and happy to announce you are now a level 2."

She hands the younger woman her new badge as Mariah took it from her with a smile on her face. "Thank you Sara, I really appreciate it. I won't let you down."

Sara nodded. "I know." She cleared her throat before assigning Mariah and Tim to a case while Nicole and Devon were working together, and after they walked out of the room, Kevin sighed a little as he stood up. "I guess I'm on paperwork duty today, huh?"

Like most bosses, particularly Grissom, Kevin wasn't very fond of the paperwork aspect of the job, even though he knew it was still a very important part of it.

Before Sara could say anything, Nick spoke as he handed Sara a piece of paper. "Actually you and Sara have a case that just came in."

Sara looked at the familiar last name and looked at Nick with a little shock. "Detective Wilson's daughter?"

Gary Wilson was one of the older detectives, his wife had died three years ago, leaving him with two boys and three girls, ranging from 12 to 22, and the daughter he just lost, the middle one, was 17 and was suppose to be starting freshman year at Stanford University once school started again.

Nick nodded sadly while Grissom and Kevin silently sighed in heartbreak for someone they knew losing a child, it was bad enough when they didn't know the victim's family, but this hurt a little more than usual, then he cleared his throat and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I need your best on this one."

Sara nodded with a slight smile. "Always."

Nick nodded one more time, deep down knowing that as he took his hand off her shoulder, then after sharing a look with her husband, Sara walked with Kevin out of the room, leaving behind Grissom and Nick in the break room.

It was a moment of silence before Nick spoke to the older man. "I bet this is part of the job you won't miss."

Grissom nodded with a slight sigh. "I can't deny that, but the puzzle part of it, putting all the evidence together and catching the person who did to it, I will."

"I know what you mean, being the boss of the lab doesn't give me many opportunities to get out there much these days."

Nick loved his job, but he'll admit there are times he misses going out there and solving the crimes.

Grissom couldn't help but smirk as he stood up with his coffee mug in his hands. "Welcome to the world of never ending paperwork."

Nick chuckled a little as Grissom started walking out of the room, but was stopped when Nick spoke again after clearing his throat. "Hey Girss." Grissom turned around before he continued with a sincere tone. "If I never said it before, thank you."

He raised an eyebrow as he asked. "For what?"

"I'm here, in this position, because of you."

Grissom smiled as he shook his head. "You got yourself here, Nicky. I may have been your teacher/mentor/boss, but I could only do so much, it was you that had to learn and retain it."

"True, but I still would like to think I had the best teacher/mentor/boss to steer me in the right direction." Grissom was about to open his mouth when Nick finished with a smile. "Just take the compliment, man."

Grissom chuckled with a nod before replying with the smile back on his face. "Ok, and you're welcome. I'll talk to you later."

After Nick nodded in return, Grissom gave the younger man one more nod before turning and walking the rest of the way out of the room. Nick stayed in the room a second longer before walking out himself, heading back to his office.

* * *

Driving to their crime scene was very quiet, and only when Sara stopped the vehicle on the side of the street did Kevin look over at his boss and ask. "You ok?"

Sara took a breath before looking over at him with a nod. "Yeah." Then after a pause, she continue."And remember no matter how hard it is, we have to treat this like any other case."

He sighed with a nod. "I know, I understand."

They took a few seconds before finally getting out of the vehicle, and after they did, they grabbed their kits and cameras from the back of the vehicle before walking towards the yellow tape that was closing off the dead end alley.

When they reached their destination, Wilson's working partner of eight years was standing in front of the tape looking understandably distraught, and while Sara was walking to him to get any information he had, Kevin walked under the tape before walking to the young woman.

Once he got near her, he kneels down so he could set his kit down on the ground, and after opening it, he grabbed his latex gloves and puts them on as he looked at the young woman, she had multiple bruises on her face, her left eye looked swollen and at one point he could tell she had her wrists and legs tied, he could also tell she must have been strangled by a rope or something very similar, which unfortunately this type of scene was nothing new to him, he's seen this plenty of times in his 8 years of being a CSI, and he can only imagine what her shirt was covering and what the bastard did to her sexually.

He mentally took a breath and shook his head before lifting the camera up to take pictures, but just after he moved her arm away from the other one, he stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed the word 'Whore' and number '13' carved on the inside of her right arm, and he remembered exactly when the first time he seen this MO, making a slight shiver run down his spine.

 _Flashback_

 _12 years ago_

 _19 year old Kevin was laying on his side with his elbow on the mattress as his head was on the palm of his hand while he watched his girlfriend of 5 months, sleeping. Last night had been a very special night, and he still wanted to savor every second of it._

 _A few seconds later the brown eyed, 19 year old woman started to open her eyes, and she smiled at the man that she was more in love with than she was last night._

 _He smiled back as he cupped her cheek before asking. "You ok?"_

 _She nodded as she placed her hand on top of his. "I am, thank you for last night."_

 _He smirked a little. "Shouldn't I be thanking you."_

 _She chuckled as she moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You were very sweet and loving, that's what I'm thanking you for."_

 _He nodded in understanding before getting a more serious look in his eyes as he replied. "I just wanted it to be everything you ever dreamed of."_

 _"It was, and more."_

 _They smiled at one another before kissing softly a few times, then after they pulled back, she looked over his shoulder to see the other bed, which belonged to her best friend since they were five years old, still made, so that meant she didn't make it back to the dorm at all during the morning._

 _Kevin spoke softly, seeing where she was looking. "I'm sure she's ok, Lizzie."_

 _Lizzie Thompson looked at her boyfriend with a nod. "I'm sure she is too. But I'll feel better hearing that from her."_

 _He nodded as he moved a piece of her medium length, dark hair behind her ear while speaking again. "Ok, why don't you call Jennifer while I get dressed, then we can go out for breakfast, invite her if you want to."_

 _She smiled with a nod. "Alight, thank you."_

 _He smiled back, and after a soft kiss, he turned around as he lifted the blankets up so he could get out of the bed, but as he was standing in nothing but boxers, there was a knock on the door._

 _They have eye contact for a second before she spoke. "Kevin..."_

 _He nodded as he tossed her his shirt from last night, then while she was putting it on over her head, she spoke loud enough so whoever knocked could hear her. "Just a minute."_

 _After he had his pants on and she had put on her sweat pants, she walked towards the door, and after sharing a look with her boyfriend, which he just nodded, telling her it was ok to answer it, she turned back towards the door, took a breath and opened it before giving a curious look to the two middle-aged, suit wearing men now standing in front of her, one with short blond hair while the other one had short dark brown hair._

 _Before she could speak, they introduced themselves with police badges, and Lizzie nodded before asking. "How can I help you detectives?"_

 _The dark haired officer cleared his throat before asking. "When was the last time you saw Ms. Moore?"_

 _Lizzie's heart started to race as she responded. "My boyfriend and I were with her last night. Jennifer insisted that we leave her at the club so we could be alone for our five month anniversary, and that she would stay with another friend until morning." She then started to have tears in her eyes. "But she's not here, so where is she? Why are you here asking that question?"_

 _The lighter haired, and the slightly shorter man spoke next. "I'm sorry Ms. Thompson, but..."_

 _Knowing where he was going, she cuts him while shaking her head. "No, she can't be." Then a second later she felt Kevin wrap his arms around her and she turned into him so she could cry on his shoulder before he ran a comforting hand up and down her back._

 _It was a few minutes before she turned back to look at the detectives, and she finally noticed one of them holding a file, so she asked. "Are those pictures of her? I want to see them."_

 _The dark haired detective spoke again. "Ms. Thompson, I would advise against it, they are not very..."_

 _She cuts him off again with a hard tone. "I don't care, she's my best friend, I have to see what that bastard did to her."_

 _The detective looks at Kevin, and he gives him a short nod, so he nodded back and handed the file to her, and after a moment or two so she could harden her emotions, knowing what she was about to see wouldn't be pleasant but she felt she had to do this, she took a breath and opened the file, gasping at the first picture of seeing her lifeless friend, a friend who had been so full of life since she's known her._

 _She went through the pictures, her heart breaking after every one she saw, with Kevin right behind her, seeing the same imagines as his heart broke for her, and when she got to the last one, which was a picture of the inside of her arm that had the word 'Whore' and carved number '1' on it, she nearly lost it and handed the file back to the detectives before she moved out of Kevin's arms, sat at the end of her bed and cried in her hands._

 _When it was just Kevin and the detectives standing at the door, the younger man cleared his throat before speaking. "We'll answer all of your questions, but can we do this later. She's clearly distraught over this."_

 _Feeling they could trust this young man, they nodded as one of them handed him a business card. "Call when you're ready, and we'll set up a meeting."_

 _Kevin nodded. "Thank you."_

 _They nodded in return, and after saying sorry for your loss one more time, they turned and walked away before Kevin closed the door, then he walked over to his girlfriend and sat on the end of the bed, brought her in his arms, kissed her head and just held her as she grieved for the loss of her best friend._

 _Last night was suppose to be remembered as one of the best nights of their young lives, but it was now tainted forever, and deep down he knew everything in their relationship had changed from this moment on, he just didn't realize how true that was._

 _End of Flashback_

Kevin was brought back to the present when he heard Sara's voice. "Kevin, you ok?"

He mentally shook his head and looked up at his boss. "Huh, what?"

She gave him a slight smile as she asked. "I asked if you are you ok, You look like you've seen a ghost."

He cleared his throat and nodded his head as he lifted the victim's arm again so Sara could see the other side of it, and when she saw the word and number, he spoke softly. "I've seen this MO before."

She looked at her colleague and asked with a little surprise in her voice. "When, where, tell me everything you know."

He took a breath before replying. "2004, Tucson Arizona." He took a moment before telling her everything he knew, which wasn't much since he wasn't actually a CSI then, but he learned early on that any little thing will help.

* * *

AN: Like I said, I hope it read ok. More to come soon. Please Review.


	3. Blast from the Past

AN: Warning; Questionable Words & Case details. Thank you for the reviews, here is the next chapter.

* * *

Chapter 3: Blast from the Past

"...Ok we'll see what we can get done before they arrive, yep, bye."

After finishing her conversation with Nick, she hung up before turning around and looking at Kevin as he was finishing taking pictures of the victim. "It looks like we'll be working with the FBI on this one, Director Stokes got word they're sending two agents and should be here around lunch time, so we'll do all that we can on our end."

Kevin nodded, still in a little bit of shock about the MO. "Alight."

She stopped next to him and continued. "I'm also thinking of assigning Nicole on this case too, if you're ok with it."

He looked over at her with a raised eyebrow. "You're the boss, you don't need my permission, but yeah, I'm ok with it."

"Alright, and..."

He cuts her off, knowing where she was going next. "And yes I'm ok, please don't take me off the case, I need to do this."

Now that he knew that the case represented something more than originally thought, he was more determined to solve it.

Understanding that feeling all to well herself, she nodded before asking him one more thing. "Are you going to call your Sophomore girlfriend..."

She trailed off, not knowing her name, before Kevin spoke after shaking his head. "Lizzie, and no, not yet, I want to make sure it gets closed first."

Of course neither one said out loud that there was a possibility they'll miss their chance, like the other CSI's before them, but they weren't going to bring that negativity around them.

"OK." Then she smiled with a determined look. "Let's get this bastard off the streets for her and the other victims."

This time Kevin just nodded before they both continued on their case.

* * *

After they gathered all the evidence out on the field, which wasn't much, they headed back to the lab, then he went to the locker room while she headed toward her office after turning in what they had to process, and when he stepped in the room, he took a breath as he sat down on the bench, trying to get his nerves in tact before he continued on the case. It was bad enough they knew the victim, but with her crime being linked to another one that affected him, it got to him a little more than he thought it would, or would like to admit.

His moment by himself was interrupted a second later when he heard Nicole's voice as she walked in the room. "Are you ok? Sara called and asked for me to help out."

He looked up at her and gave her a short nod. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

She frowned a little as she walked to the bench so she could sit down next to him, then she replied as she placed her hand on top of his. "It's ok if you're not, it's bad enough we knew the victim, but for it to be connected to..."

Kevin cuts her off as he slipped his hand out from under hers and stood up, nodding his head. "I know, and like I said, I'm fine. I just really want to get this one."

She nodded in understanding as she stood up, a little concerned that he was keeping his distance from her, but didn't say anything about that before asking something else. "Have you called her?"

Knowing who she was referring to, Kevin shook his head before looking at her. "Not yet, I want to make sure we have the suspect, I don't want to give her false hope."

She gives him a slight smile as she replied. "Then let's get him."

Seeing the determination in her eyes, he nodded with a smile of his own. "Yeah, let's."

They share one more look before they headed out of the locker room

* * *

Sara wasn't in her office very long before she heard a knock on the door frame, and when she turned around and gave her husband a look, he stepped in the room and closed the door before walking up her, which she walked up to him so they hugged in the middle.

Now normally they would wait till the shift was actually over and they were out in the parking lot, or just wait until they got home, but with the look she had given him, he knew she needed a little comfort now, and since she did in fact feel like she needed comfort, she didn't reject the hug.

They pulled back a few seconds later, both wishing it could be more but would have to wait till later, then he spoke with his eyes filled with nothing but love. "I would ask if you're ok, and while I know you'll say you're fine, I know you're really not."

She couldn't help but give him a little smile on that one, he knew her so well, then she sighed as she stepped back. "It's bad enough that we knew the victim, but for the suspect to be a potential serial killer, that's been around for years, I hate it. It means others before missed something. Who's to say that we..."

Grissom cuts her off while taking her hand and squeezing it a little. "He picked the wrong city for his next crime, it ends here, there is no way he's getting past this team."

She smiled a little again, then shook her head before replying. "Thank you for the vote of confidence, but you don't know that, there is a reason that..."

He cuts her off before she could finish. "And the FBI knows the pattern, that's why they are coming. I wish we can, but we can't bring the other victims back to life, but you guys can help save others." Then he gave her a reassuring smile. "Just do what you do best, I have faith in you, in your guys."

"You said my guys."

He shrugged a little with a nod. "Well, they are. I've just been the visitor."

She frowned a little as she cupped his cheek, forgetting for a second on where they were. "You know you've been more than that, you've done good work while you were here, don't sell yourself short."

After a short pause, he nodded with another slight smile. "Yeah, I guess I have."

"You really have, babe."

After a long moment of looking into each other's eyes, he cleared his throat and stepped back, letting her hand fall from his cheek, then he spoke. "I should let you get back to work, but if you need my help with anything, just let me know."

"Ok."

He then turned and started walking towards the door as she was watching his every move, and when he reached the door, he places his hand on the door knob before turning around to look at her again. "And Sara?"

She raised an eyebrow as she responded. "Yeah?"

He smirked next. "I better not hear that you've elected to go undercover again."

Sara chuckled a little, remembering when she decided to go undercover to help the FBI her first year in Vegas, then she shook her head, also remembering how fiercely he tried to stop her, not fully knowing why he cared so much until years later when they became a couple, before sighing as she replied. "I'm afraid, even if I wanted to, I'm not what the suspect is looking for anyways, his tastes seems to be on the younger side, late teens to early twenties, and I'm definitely not there anymore."

He looked at her with nothing but love as he whispered. "Maybe not, but you're still the most beautiful woman in the world to me."

She smiled shyly with her eyes twinkling for a second or two before she shook her head. "Oh, get out of here and let me do my job, Dr. Grissom."

He chuckled with a nod as he opened the door. "You got, Mrs. Grissom. I love you, and I'll see you later."

"I love you too, and yeah you will."

They gave each other one more smile before he walked out of the room, and after a second, she lost her smile and sighed, ready to get her mind back on the case.

* * *

Around Lunch Time

When lunch time rolled around, Kevin and Nicole was eating in the break room, and with the guys and Mariah tied up on their cases, while Sara and Grissom was enjoying a meal on their own, the two of them were eating their lunch just the two of them, but neither one was complaining.  
In fact, they were smiling at one another ever so often, the first sets of smiles since they started shift.

After a few minutes of them not saying anything, Kevin cleared his throat before speaking. "As much as I like eating with every one, this is nice too."

Nicole took a drink of her water before nodding her head and replying. "It really is, and I'm sorry we haven't had any time to really be alone."

He nodded in understanding before speaking. "It's ok, work hasn't exactly been easy the last week, and you have a child at home who needs your attention too, I get it." She was just about to speak again when he continued. "You know we can do something this weekend, maybe even talking Dr. Grissom into letting us use his boat. Providing the case gets done, so what do you say?"

Knowing the anniversary of her late husband's death was coming up, Kevin wanted to give her a distraction, not that she still wouldn't be thinking about it anyways, but he thought it would be better than sitting around the house with her memories of him that was bound to make her more miserable than on a regular day.

Understanding why he made the offer, she gave him a little smile, but before she could speak, someone else entered the room and spoke.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry to interrupt your lunch, but I'm..."

The woman gets cut off when Kevin, who had been sitting with his back towards the door so he didn't see who came into the room, mentally gasped hearing her voice, and spoke as he turned around. "Lizzie."

The 31 year old woman, who now had a pixie like haircut, but still beautiful in his eyes, smiled as she responded. "Hi Kevin."

For a moment it was just the two of them as he stood up in shock. "What are you, what are you doing here?"

Still feeling a little shocked herself to see her ex-boyfriend here, it took her second to respond, and when she did, she was a little over come with emotion. "I'm a, I'm an FBI agent now."

He stopped in front of her as he shook his head. "Wow I had no idea, FBI."

"And you a CSI." Then she couldn't help but smirk a little. "Shouldn't you be wearing a three piece suit somewhere?" She always thought he would become a business man.

He chuckled and shook his head before replying with a twinkle in his eyes. "Nah, a badge, gun and CSI kit, that's my three piece suit."

She couldn't help but chuckle in return, then they were brought back to earth a second later when Nicole had stood up and spoke as she stood next to Kevin.

"Hi, I'm..."

Lizzie cuts her off with a smile. "Nicole, I know." When Nicole looked a little shocked that she knew that, the other woman continued as she looked at Kevin. "He had a picture of you in his dorm room, and I never forget a face."

Before a new tension could begin to set in the room, Sara, Captain Miller and Director Stokes walked in, and Nick spoke the minute he saw Lizzie. "Agent Thompson, I'm glad you're here."

Lizzie turned around with a nod and cleared her throat before shaking the man's hand. "Thank you, Director Stokes, although I wish it was for a better circumstance."

Nick nodded in agreement as they release hands. "I would agree, so shall we get started?"

"Yes, every minute counts."

After introducing the other agent that was with her, who was male, in his later 20's, around 6'1, with an athletic build, short black hair and brown eyes, she grabbed the other files from the briefcase she had brought while the rest of them sat down at the conference table, then once they were all comfortable and she was ready, she started to brief them on what she knew about the case that's been haunting her before she even became an FBI agent.

"March, 2004 in Tucson Arizona, Jennifer Moore, his first victim." Lizzie took a moment to control her composure, while everybody was looking at the pictures, and Kevin couldn't help but look down and silently take a breath right before she continued after clearing her throat. "Was walking out of a club when she was chloroformed and taken to an abandoned area, where she was tortured, beaten and sexually assaulted multiple times before the word 'whore' and a number '1' was carved on her arm, then strangled once he was done with her and dropped her off in an alley way."

Before she could continue Nick spoke with a sigh. "Very bold on his part, he could have been seen."

Lizzie nodded in agreement before continuing. "But unfortunately he wasn't, and he killed again two nights later in the same city, using the the same process, this time the victim's arm had a number '2' carved on it." They looked at the pictures of the next two victims and the numbers was going up in order as she continued. "After he left Arizona, two more bodies were found in Utah two months later, same pattern, the only thing changing was the number on their arms."

After Sara reached for the fifth victim's pictures, and noticed the year gap between victim numbers four and five, she asked. "Why do you think he took an eight year break?"

Lizzie answered immediately. "We believe he had a reason to stop, something else he actually valued more than that killer instinct."

They nodded in understanding before Kevin spoke after clearing his throat, looking at the remaining victim's pictures. "Then his reason must have ended 4 years ago."

"Yes."

They all took a moment or two to process this before Captain Miller cleared his throat and spoke. "What do you want us to do?"

"If he sticks to his pattern, he'll attack in two days, his favorite area is the crowdest bars or clubs, and he only goes after women who aren't with dates, or the third wheel. They are also more than likely shy when it comes to men, but are willing to come out of their shell a little if they feel comfortable enough." Kevin and her look at one another, knowing that was very true for Jennifer, that night she was the third wheel to their group, and while she may have been confident in a lot ways, guys were the last thing she was confident about. Lizzie mentally shook her head before continuing after clearing her throat again. "We believe he's around early to mid 30's, 6'0, attractive, a strong build, and very confident." She sighed before finishing. "I wish I could give you more about his looks, but the only picture we have of him is very fuzzy and he is wearing a hat and sunglasses, and believe me there is nothing more we can do with that picture."

As she was handing the picture to the captain, Nicole asked after clearing her throat. "If I may ask, are you sure it's all the same suspect?"

Lizzie looked at the other woman and nodded her head before replying with confidence, having gone through every file multiple times, examining every little detail they had. "I would stake my career on it."

Nicole nodded as Captain Miller spoke again as he stood up from his spot. "I'll get my guys on this Agent Thompson, his reign of terror ends in this city."

He will do everything in his power to catch this bastard, knowing how his most senior detective feels, and wishing they had gotten the killer before he killed his latest victim.

Lizzie gave the older man a warm smile before replying. "Remember Captain Miller, he's scouted this city out, so he already has a plan in mind. Even more than likely has a couple of back up plans."

He nodded before walking out of the room with determination as the rest of the group stood up from their chairs, then after Nick left the room after reassuring her that he'll also do all that he can to help, Sara walked up to the other woman and said. "We'll get you the reports to the evidence we found after it's processed."

Lizzie smiled with appreciation. "Thank you, I know it couldn't have been much."

Sara sighed in frustration as she nodded. "You're right, but every little bit does help." After Lizzie nodded in agreement, Sara looked at her two colleagues. "I guess continue to work on other paperwork, it's a waiting game right now."

After they nodded, Sara left the room, then after Nicole gave Kevin a look, she also left the room, leaving him, Lizzie and the other FBI agent, Malcolm James.

It was a moment of silence, and as she was closing up some of the files, she looked at Kevin and said with a smile. "So that's Nicole, huh?"

He cleared his throat and nodded. "Yep."

"And is she still with uh..."

She trailed off as he finished for her. "Jason, and no, he died. In fact Sunday will be a year."

She frowned a little as she replied sincerely. "I'm sorry to hear that, for both of your sakes, I remember you telling me he was one of your best friends." He nodded his thanks as she continued. "But of course that gives you a shot now, something you've been wanting for a long time."

Kevin frowned a little as he walked up to her. "Lizzie, I..."

But she cuts him off while shaking her head. "It's ok, I'm a big girl, I know what we were. Besides, it's in the past, I'm over it." She paused for a second before finishing. "You should get back to work. I don't want you to get in trouble with your boss."

He was going to say something, but kept quiet and nodded his head before walking out of the room, and once he was out, she sighed as her partner, who tried to ignore the conversation knowing it was private but was unsuccessful, smirked while he sat down with a coffee mug in his hand, which made her look at him with a raised eyebrow. "What?"

He smiled as he replied in the best replica of her voice he could do. "What we had is in the past, I'm over it." Then he shook his head and finished in his normal tone of voice. "If you been over him the last three years that I've known you, then I hate to see when you're not over someone, you're still crazy about him, admit it."

She sighed as she sat down. "Well, it doesn't look like it matters anyways, he's got what he wants, what he's always wanted, even though he could never admit it out loud."

He raises his coffee cup up to his mouth as he shook his head slightly before replying. "I'm not so sure, there seems to be a little tension between them, so I don't think they're as picture perfect as you think they are."

"Really?" After he nodded again, she shook her head before finishing the conversation. "I didn't come here for that, which really I didn't even know he would be here, but that's beside the point. I came here for a job and that's it, once it's done, I'm gone."

He raised an eyebrow as he placed his coffee mug on the conference table. "If you're sure."

"I am, I can't go back, so can we please talk about something that's more constructive and the case at hand."

He nodded with a smile. "You got it, boss."

She nodded with a smile back before they started talking about the case, it may have been discussed multiple times already, but she didn't want to miss anything, she felt this was finally coming to a close, and after 12 years, 6 of it working as an FBI agent, she was ready to put this to rest and finally have closure.

* * *

Hours later (Just as Shift was ending)

Sara had just closed up a file she had been working on, but was now done with it, when there was a knock on the door frame and Kevin's voice was heard. "You wanted to see me?"

Sara nodded as she picked up another file and handed it to him. "If you don't mind giving this to Agent Thompson."

He slowed down his walking toward the desk as he replied. "Oh, uh, yeah, sure."

Sara raised an eyebrow as the young man took it from her before she spoke with a small smirk. "If I didn't know any better I might think that Nicole wasn't the only one that got away."

She was just as surprised as he was that the FBI Agent turned out to be Lizzie, and as she secretly watched them share a few looks between one another as Lizzie was doing the briefing, she couldn't help but see something still there between them.

He looked into her eyes for a few seconds before looking down at the file in his hands, and it was enough for Sara to see it, so her smirked looked changed to concern. "I'm right, aren't I?"

He sighed after a seconds pause before looking at his boss with a small smile. "It's been Nicole for as long as I can remember, it still is."

She raised an eyebrow. "But?"

"But, for a moment." He sighed before shaking his head and finishing. "Correction, for Five months, 2 weeks, 12 hours, 30 minutes and 15 seconds, there was someone else."

Sara took a moment before asking after clearing her throat. "How uh, how did it end? If it's ok to ask."

He sighed one time before replying, remembering like it happened yesterday. "After Jennifer died, there was nothing I could do to comfort her, it seemed like every time I tried, she kept pulling further away from me. Then one day when I went to her dorm room to see if she wanted to have lunch with me, it was completely empty, except she did leave a goodbye note on the desk, and I hadn't seen or heard from her since...well today."

Now she looked at him with sympathy. "I'm sorry Kevin."

He cleared his throat to steel his emotions back while he waved it off. "It's ok, it's in the past. I'm over it."

Then without another word, he started walking towards the door, but just before he got there, Sara's words stopped him. "Are you?"

He turned to look at his boss. "Boss, I..."

She cuts him off before he could continue. "I know how much you love Nicole and want to be with her, but I think a part of you still loves Lizzie, and I really think it's mostly because you guys never got a proper ending." She then gives him a small smile as she finishes. "Sometimes in order to move forward, you have to take a step back."

He gave her a small smile in return. "I hear you."

She nodded back before saying one more thing. "And Kevin, I know this must be a confusing time for you, trying to deal with all these new and old feelings that you have, but don't do any thing that you'll regret, I don't want to hear about anybody getting hurt."

He nodded in agreement. "I know, me neither." After clearing his throat one more time, he finishes. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, tomorrow. Have a good night."

"You too."

After she nodded, he finally turned and walked out her office, shutting the door behind him, and as it clicked shut, she sighed a little, hoping the best for Kevin, then she smiled as she picked up the framed picture of her and Grissom that was taken on their wedding day (Second one), thankful that her heart beats for only this wonderful man.

* * *

AN: I get it, you are all reading for the GSR, and I know there isn't much right now, but they'll get their spotlight soon, so please just a little more patience and understanding, thank you. Please Review.

*Another Chapter coming out later in the evening.


	4. Changed his mind?

AN: Warning: Questionable Word. Thanks for the reviews, here is the next chapter.

* * *

Chapter 4: Changed his mind?

When Kevin reached the door to the break room, he stopped and observed Lizzie, who was still looking at a particular open file, and he also noticed her holding the necklace she wore, her most prized one, which was something she did a lot, especially when she was anxious, worried or nervous about something, and he couldn't help but think back to the first time he saw her so nervous she was doing that.

 _Flashback_

 _12 years ago_

 _(5 months earlier)_

 _19 year olds Kevin and Lizzie was in her dorm room studying while her best friend Jennifer was out with a few other friends, and ever so often they would look up from their work and smile at one another shyly before they would look back down. They were just friends at the moment, but they liked one another, they just hadn't gotten around to confessing it yet._

 _After the third time of looking up, Kevin saw that she had her hand wrapped around her necklace, and was moving it side to side a little, so he asked with a smile. "Is there a reason you're doing that?"_

 _She looked up from her work with a raised eyebrow and asked. "What?"_

 _He nodded toward her hand that was around her necklace. "Playing with your necklace."_

 _"Oh." She smiled as she removed her hand from it. "I wasn't aware I was actually doing it, it's a thing I do when I'm anxious, nervous, or upset about something."_

 _When he raised an eyebrow at that, she realized she said too much, so she looks back down at her books with a worried look, making him get up from the desk chair he had been sitting on and walked towards the bed before sitting down next to her and whispered. "And what has you so nervous?"_

 _She shook her head, trying to regain her composure while he was this close to her. "No-nothing." She then looked at him as she continued to try to steady her voice. "How do you know it's nerves?"_

 _He gives her that smile that makes her heart race even more before he spoke softly. "I don't see how you would be anxious or upset about something, unless I did something, and if I had, I'm..."_

 _She cuts him off as she shook her head. "You did nothing to upset me, I promise."_

 _She went back to her books once again, her hand instinctively going to her necklace again as he spoke. "So, you're anxious and nervous, now the answer is why?"_

 _She took a breath before looking at him once again. "Kevin, can we just for..."_

 _He cuts he off this time as he placed his hand on top of other hand. "I'm nervous too."_

 _Her eyes get a little wide as she asked. "You are, about what?"_

 _He smiled as he squeezed her hand. "I think you know why. The feelings between us are becoming more than friendship, and wanting to transition that relationship can be  
nerve-wracking, especially if you are unsure if the other person feels the same."_

 _Knowing he was giving her an in, she replied with honesty as she moved her other hand from her necklace and placed it on top of his. "I feel it too." He smiled bigger, just as she spoke again after a sigh. "But are you sure you want to..."_

 _He places his finger on her lips to stop her before cupping her cheek, making both hearts race as he whispered while moving closer to her. "I want to see what happens, do you?"_

 _He stopped before his lips could touch hers so it would give her a chance to back away, and despite the reservations she had about changing their friendship into a relationship, she knew she couldn't go the rest of her life wondering 'what if' when it came to him, so for now she went with her heart and closed the gap between them, kissing him with everything she had, and he wasn't exactly holding back either, because despite on how he still felt about Nicole, he knew he couldn't spend the rest of his life pushing away new feelings he had for someone else._

 _When they finally pulled back, they placed their foreheads together while trying to catch their breaths, then once he had his back, he whispered. "May I?"_

 _With the kisses still flowing through her and the confusion about his question, she asked breathlessly. "May you what?"_

 _"Look at your necklace."_

 _She smiled as she pulled back and held the end of her necklace toward him. "Of course."_

 _He smiled in return and held up the end of it, seeing it was half a heart before looking at her with a raised eyebrow. "Should I be concerned on who has the other half of your heart?"_

 _She chuckled before replying. "Only if you don't turn it around."_

 _When he did, he realized it was a best friend heart, and she had the 'BE' and 'FRI' part of it, then he smiled as he removed his hand from the necklace. "Jennifer, I should have known."_

 _She smiled as she slipped her fingers through his before asking in a serious tone. "I hope you're not too jealous about our friendship, we've been close since we were five years old, and she's always going to be my..."_

 _Kevin cuts her off with a nod and smile. "I get it, I would never want to come between you two." He stopped and cleared his throat before finishing. "I just hope we get a little time to ourselves sometimes."_

 _She nodded in understanding a she cupped his cheek. "We will, I promise. And I know she'll understand, she's the best friend anybody could ask for."_

 _"Then I want to get to know her too."_

 _That made Lizzie happy, nothing would be better in her eyes if her best friend and boyfriend became friends, so she smiled brighter. "Really?"_

 _"Yeah." He placed his hand on top of hers and took it off his cheek before kissing it, then looked into her brown eyes and whispered. "She's important to you, so it's important to me."_

 _"Thank you."_

 _"You're welcome."_

 _They kissed softly on the lips before they release one another so he could go back to the desk, then once he sat down they go back to studying, but once again they kept looking at one another, only this time their smiles and looks were more loving and a lot longer, like they couldn't wait to explore this turn of a new relationship a little more._

 _End of Flashback_

Kevin mentally shook away his thoughts from the past before he cleared his throat while walking further in the room, noticing Malcolm wasn't in the room, but at the moment not really caring where he was at.

"Hey, my supervisor wanted me to give you this."

She removed her hand from her necklace and sat up straighter in her seat as she gave him a small smile while holding out her hand for the file, and once she had it, he asked with a concern look on his face. "You ok?"

She sets the file down on the table, and stands up, taking the empty coffee mug with her while clearing her throat before speaking softly as she headed towards the sink. "Yeah, I'm fine."

He turned around and walked up to her speaking softly. "I know you're not, and it's more than the case that's bothering you."

With her back still toward him, she shook her head, trying to control her emotions as she spoke again. "It's nothing. Besides I don't want to talk about it, and we shouldn't be talking about it."

"Why."

She felt a crack in her exterior and sniffled as she shook her head again. "Kevin, I..."

She gets cut of as he turns her around before asking with a frown. "Why did you leave?"

She sniffled again as she replied softly. "You know why, I couldn't han..."

He cuts her off again. "It's because you blame me, didn't you? You couldn't look at me anymore because you held me responsible for what happened to Jennifer."

She shook her head, and a tear finally rolled down her cheek as she whispered in return. "No, I never blamed you, I blamed myself. I was her best friend and all I wanted to do that night was being alone with you. I should have insisted harder that we take her back to the dorm room, or made sure she made it to any of our other friend's place, but I..."

She stops, a little shocked that his hand cupped her cheek as he finished with tears in his eyes. "We. We should have made sure she would really be ok, I blamed myself too, Lizzie."

She shook her head. "But..."

He cuts her off once again. "She was your best friend, and you were my girlfriend. I was suppose to make sure that nothing hurts you, but I failed you in the worst possible way, so I'm so sorry I let you down."

Seeing him with so much pain his in eyes made her heart break even more, so she cupped his cheek and wiped a tear off as she started to speak. "Kevin..."

But then she was cut off by another voice at the doorway, also making them immediately aware that maybe they shouldn't have been discussing this in the lab.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'll uh...I have to go."

Nicole then turned around and walked out of the room, and Lizzie removed her hand and stepped back, letting his hand fall from her cheek as she spoke. "Go after her, Kevin." She could see he was torn, but she didn't want him to regret not going after her, so she continued with a little more force. "Go."

He nodded with the look of concern still on his face before rushing out of the room while Lizzie closed her eyes as she tired to regain her composure, she was stronger than this, she had been trained to be stronger than this, but she always knew the only person who could break down those walls she tired to build up, was Kevin.

* * *

(Five Minutes earlier)

Not long after Kevin had left her office, there was knock on her door, so Sara smiled as she placed the photo back on her desk. "Come in."

The door opened a second later, and her smile widened when she saw her husband walk in, he smiled back before asking after clearing his throat. "You done for the day?"

Knowing there wasn't much she could do now, she nodded with a sigh as she closed a couple of the files she had opened before standing up. "Yeah, I can work on these tomorrow." He nodded in understanding, then she asked with the smile back on her face. "So, what do you have planned, Mr. Grissom?"

Wanting to touch her, but knowing he couldn't, he kept his hands to his sides before answering. "Oh, I don't know, Mrs. Grissom, maybe resting for a bit, then dinner out on the balcony before a nice calm boat ride."

Also wanting to touch him, but knowing she couldn't, she replied after a pause. "Or we can just relax and enjoy dinner on the boat before the ride."

He nodded with his eyes sparkling. "Alright, that works too. I'll meet you there."

"Ok, I'll bring the...Chinese?"

"That's fine, I'll see you later."

While both of their eyes continued to sparkle, she whispered. "Yeah you will."

They share one more loving look before he finally turned and walked out of the room while she sighed with content before she turned to her desk, moved the files to the side so there wasn't a clutter on her desk, then after grabbing her shoulder bag and coat, she turned the lights out of her office, walked out of it, and locked it before walking down the hall so she could leave, and spend time with her wonderful husband.

* * *

After finding Nicole in the locker room, Kevin walked up to her and sat down on the bench next to her and started to speak as he moved his hand towards hers. "Nicole I..."

But stopped his hand movement and words the minute he heard Devon, Mariah, and Tim talking as they walked into the room.

When the three of them saw Nicole and Kevin, their faces showed a little sadness as Mariah asked softly, hoping the rumors weren't true. "So is it true, Detective Wilson's daughter..."

She trailed off as Kevin nodded with a sigh. "I'm afraid so."

They all sighed this time and shook their heads, then after a pause, Tim smiled slightly as he opened his locker. "Although I'm sad that the FBI had to show up in the first place, I did see the woman agent in the break room, and all I have to say is, nice."

Mariah looked at Tim with a raised eyebrow before smirking. "Should I be informing Lindsey about her boyfriend?"

He chuckled while shaking his head. "Hey, nothing in the rulebook that says you can't look, it's touching that's frowned upon." Then he spoke in a more serious tone. "And I would never, she knows where my loyalties are."

They could see the truth in his eyes, but Mariah couldn't help but smirk one more time as she pushed a finger to his chest. "And it better stay that way, or I won't hesitate telling on you, you got that mister."

He raised his hands up in surrender with a nod and smile. "Yes, ma'am."

She nodded in satisfaction, and as they were finishing up on getting their things, Devon spoke. "I know after the case you guys had you might not be up to it, but how about a drink on me."  
Then he smiled as he finished while looking at his girlfriend. "Because I mean after all, there is something to celebrate, my girl did get a promotion today."

She smiled in return while Kevin and Nicole both cleared their throats before Kevin replied first. "I'm sorry man, but how about a rain check." Then he looked at Mariah. "I hope you understand."

Mariah nodded. "Of course, whenever you want."

He stood up and walked up to her before giving her a hug and whispering in her ear. "Congratulations though, you earned it."

She ran her hand up and down his back as she replied. "Thank you."

When they stepped back, Nicole personally congratulated her too, then after Tim, Devon, and Mariah closed their lockers, they said goodbye/goodnight to Nicole and Kevin before walking out of the room.

Once it was just the two of them again, they looked at one another before he started to speak. "Nicole I..."

But was once again cut off when Grissom had walked in the room, and after a short pause, feeling the tension between them, he headed towards his locker to get his things without much delay, then after he closed the door, he gave them a nod before walking back out.

When they were alone again, she spoke this time. "We shouldn't be talking about this in the lab anyways. You remember what Sara said."

He nodded then asked. "Where?"

"My house." Before Kevin could respond, she continued. "Carson's with his grandmother tonight."

"OK, I'll meet you at your place."

After she nodded in return, they grabbed their items from their lockers before walking out of the room one after the other, both a little nervous on how this conversation was going to go.

* * *

At Nicole's House

"You want something to drink?"

Kevin replied as he shook his head while stepping inside the house. "No thank you, I'm good."

Nicole nodded in return before walking towards the couch, which he followed her and they both sat down in silence for a few seconds, then she spoke softly after clearing her throat. "Have you changed your mind about us?"

Kevin immediately shook his head and placed his hand on top of hers. "It's always been you, and it always will be."

She looked at him with confusion before shaking her head. "But I saw the look you two shared, Kevin, you loved her."

He nodded. "You're right, I can't lie and tell you that there has never been any one else other than you that I ever loved in my life." He paused before he sighed as he continued. "But despite how much I felt about her, deep down I always knew she wouldn't be my 'one and only', but what else was I suppose to do? pine away for you forever without ever knowing how love feels like? She may have never been the true one, but she was a great one."

Then she started to ask without even thinking. "But how can you love two..."

She trails off when she realized what she was going to stay, and he removed his hand while speaking with a sad look on his face. "If you don't know that answer to that, then what am I doing here?" She was about to speak, but he continued with emotion. "Like I said before, I get it. Jason is the love of your life, I would never, could never, take his place in your heart, but if there is no room for you to love me in that way, then what are we doing? Do you just want me around so you don't have to feel lonely, because if that's the case, I rather just be your friend for that."

He stood up and walked to the window as Nicole spoke with tears in her eyes. "That's not true, I do feel something for you."

He closed his eyes for a second and turned around to look at her with pain them before asking. "I know you do, but you're still hesitating on telling me what exactly that is, why?"

She looked into his eye. "I don't..." She trials off and shook her as she looked down at her hands. "I don't know."

He sighed as he walked up to her again, then after sitting down on the coffee table, he leans forward and places his hands on top of hers again before whispering. "I think you do, and until you're honest with yourself and me, we are still going to be in the same place as we are now, and as much as I love you and want to be with you, I...we can't stay like this forever, we either need to more forward together or let go and go our different directions."

It broke his heart telling her that, but he couldn't stay in limbo forever.

Nicole sniffled as she looked up into his eyes before whispering with emotion. "I don't want to lose you again."

He gave her a smile and cupped her cheek with one hand before replying. "You'll never lose me, especially as a friend." He then removed his hand from her cheek as he finished. "But you need to decide what you want, if I'm the man that you really see in your future, at least in that way." He stands up, taking his hand away from her before kissing her on the top of her head and whispering with his eyes closed, feeling the pain in his heart. "I love you Nicole, and I always will, remember that."

He pulled back and she looked up him, seeing the pain and truth in his eyes, then after a pause he gives her a small smile as he continued. "I'll see you tomorrow." All she did was nod while her heart was screaming at her as she watched him walk towards the front door and out of the house.

As the door clicked shut, she placed her head in her hands and shouted. "Dammit." Before crying in them, she really knew why she was hesitating, she was just too afraid to admit it out loud.

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AN: More coming soon. Please Review.


	5. A Chance encounter changes everything

AN: Thanks for the reviews and support, it really means a lot to me. Here is the next chapter.

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Chapter 5: A Chance encounter changes everything

Once Kevin walked out of Nicole's house, he got into his vehicle, started it up and drove away, and since he wasn't ready to head back to his apartment, he just drove around for about 15 minutes before he headed towards a bar, needing a drink after the day he had.

When he arrived at one of the more calmer bars, he got out of his vehicle and walked inside the medium-sized building, then after arriving at the bar counter, the mid-40's, light-haired, male bartender asked. "What are you having this evening?"

He was almost going to order something strong, but decided against it. "A Bud light, please." As he sat down.

The bartender nodded before grabbing a glass and filling it up, then after setting it down in front of him, he asked the person who had stopped next to Kevin's chair. "And you ma'am?"

She smiled as she replied, still a little surprised to see Kevin here. "What ever this gentleman is having."

Kevin's heart sped up a little at the sound of her voice, and he looked over at Lizzie as she sat down next to him, then she gave him a small sympathy smile as she nodded towards his glass. "I take it things didn't go so well with Nicole."

He sighed as he took a sip of his drink before setting it down on the napkin. "Let's just say I walked out of her place with more uncertainty then I did going in."

She frowned a little as she started to say. "You? But I thought..."

He cuts her off as the bartender placed Lizzie's drink in front of her before going to a  
male customer that was sitting across from them. "I know what I want, and I told her as much, but she." He paused for a second before finishing after a sigh. "Hasn't quite gotten around to tell me exactly how she feels."

She takes a drink of her beer before whispering while looking down at it. "Maybe she feels too guilty to say it out loud right now." They looked into each other's eyes, which he looked at her with confusion so she continued. "Think about it, from everything you've told me, Jason was her first true love. Then after he dies, her best friend tells her that he loved her long before Jason even entered the picture, so what if it got her thinking about how she really felt about you all this time, and it turns out Jason wasn't the first man she fell in love after all, it's been you all along. So, while she loved Jason, and always will, it wasn't as strong as she first thought it was. And she can't talk to him about it because, well, he's not here."

He looked at her with wide-eyes as his heart started to race in a different way while he asked, hope clearly in his voice. "You really think..."

She cuts him off softly. "I can't give you the answers that you want to hear, only she can. But I saw the way she was looking at you, she loves you too. Just give her a little more time to come to terms with her feelings."

She knew after this conversation there was little chance she'll get him back, but she knew she lost him the minute she walked away. Things probably could have been different had she stayed, at least for a little while, but she knew where his heart would eventually lead to, and sadly it wasn't her.

Her thoughts get interrupted when she felt his hand land on top of hers. "Lizzie, I..."

She cuts him off as she placed her other hand on top of his with a smile. "I know Kevin."

He sighed before continuing. "Please, let me speak."

She nodded as she removed her hands from his, but she started to tune him out a few seconds later when she looked across the bar and the male customer that the bartender had just helped was staring at her, and the look in his eyes the second they made contact with one another made her aware of exactly who it was, and it triggered something in her memory that happened the last night Jennifer was alive.

 _Flashback_

 _12 years ago_

 _After arriving at the club with her boyfriend and best friend, they went to get a table while Lizzie headed for the serving area to get them some drinks, and as she was standing at the counter waiting for them to come, an early to mid 20's, close to 6'0, attractive man with short, small spiked, brown hair and brown eyes, walked up to her with a smile and asked. "Can I get you a drink?"_

 _Lizzie smiled out of politeness before replying. "Thank you, but I already did."_

 _He then placed his hand on top of hers and whispered in her ear. "Then how about I get the next one?"_

 _She immediately slipped her hand out from under his as she replied, still being polite, but she was ready to walk away from him. "I don't think my boyfriend would take to kindly to that."_

 _Something in his eyes shifted as he cleared his throat and stepped back a little. "That's really a shame, I was hoping I could get to know you better."_

 _Lizzie grabbed the glasses of the non-alcoholic drinks, and gave him a little smile before finishing. "I hope you have a good evening, anyways."_

 _He gives her a sweet smile, which if she was honest with herself, if she was a little older and didn't have a boyfriend she adored so much, she probably would have allowed this man to sweep her off her feet, then he replied with a nod. "I intend to, enjoy your evening too."_

 _After she nodded back, and with the drinks in her hands, she turned and walked away, not aware that during the whole time in that club, a pair of brown eyes was watching the group with keen eyes, and not realizing that by the time she woke up the next morning, her life will be changed forever because of those pair of brown eyes._

 _End of Flashback_

She mentally gasped as she came back to the present, she had forgotten about that moment, mostly because she didn't think nothing of it after the fact since she didn't see him at all for the rest of the evening. But it also sent a sick feeling through her that maybe because she had rejected his advances, she was the reason her best friend was killed, and she was the reason he became the serial killer he was. Or maybe that instinct was already in him, and she was just the lucky one that got away, although that last thought didn't make her fell any better.

She mentally shook her head while they continued having eye contact with one another, then when she felt Kevin's hand on her arm, she visible stiffened as the other man's eyes grew darker, making Kevin look at her with worry as he asked. "Lizzie, what's wrong, are you ok?"

Snapping out of it, and not wanting to let the man flee if he knew she was going to say something, she turned her head and gave Kevin a smile. "I'm fine, just lost in thought, and I just reacted from the unexpected touch."

Kevin removed his hand, but he still had a slight frown on his face. "Lizzie..."

But she cuts him off as she placed money on the counter. "I'm fine." Then while Kevin was still looking at her, she took a hold of her necklace and moved it slightly as she stood up, and said with another smile. "Really, I'm fine. I'll uh, I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Knowing there was no stopping her when she got like this, he nodded with confusion written all over his face about her wanting to leave so abruptly. "Alright, yeah, I'll see you tomorrow." She nodded one more time while her hand was still around her necklace, then with her shoulder bag in place, she turned and started walking out of the bar, hoping he recognized her signal and that he would follow her, or she doesn't think there will be a tomorrow for her.

With confusion still on his face, he turned his attention to his beer, but then as he was picking it up, something clicked inside of him as he realized what she had been doing before walking away from him. _'it's a thing I do when I'm anxious, nervous, or upset about something '_ He cursed as he slammed his glass back down on the counter as he got the bartender's attention. "Excuse me."

The other man walked so he was in front of him and asked. "Yes, are you ready for another one?"

Kevin shook his head before speaking and pointing to the other side of the bar counter, vaguely remembering someone had been sitting there just a few seconds ago. "Someone was sitting there, do you remember what they looked like?"

The other man paused slightly and looked back to where he was pointing, then looked at him again as he started to speak. "I'm sorry, but a lot of people come in here, especially during this time, I can't ke..."

Kevin cuts him off, feeling very impatient and worried. "Please just try and remember."

Seeing the look in his eyes, the other man nodded, then after a second, he spoke again. "Uh, yeah, ok, a male that could be in his early to mid 30's, dark hair, brown eyes, and I'm sure women would say he's attrac..."

Before he could continue, Kevin cursed again as he stood up quickly, then after dropping money on the counter and saying his thanks, he rushed out of the building and into the parking lot just in time to see a vehicle peel out on to the street, like it was in a hurry, and he had no doubt on who was driving the vehicle.

Almost with his hand shaking, he takes his phone out of his pocket before dialing a familiar number at the lab, Leon Myers, their Audio/Visual expert. "Myers."

"Hey Leon, it's Kevin, I need you to track a phone."

"Alright, just give me the number."

After he did, Leon was a little shocked to see who it was. "Uh, Kevin you know this is..."

Kevin cuts him off. "Agent Thompson's number, I know, just do it."

He cleared his throat before finishing. "OK, I'll send you the coordinates once I have it."

"Thank you, and as quickly as you can, please."

"You got it."

He hung up just in time to see Malcolm get out of the vehicle he was driving, and when he saw Kevin walking his way with purpose, he asked in confusion. "What's going on?"

"I need you to drive."

He smiled a little, thinking the slightly older man might of had a few too many drinks. "Ok, where to?"

They get into the vehicle just as Kevin's phone bings, so he looks at it before looking at Malcolm again. "The docks."

A little shocked about the destination, he asked again. "Why there?"

With a slight tremble in his tone, he whispered. "He has her."

Immediately knowing what he was talking about, Malcolm cursed slightly under his breath and started the vehicle before wasting little time getting out of the parking spot and lot, then with Kevin's directions, they headed toward the docks, both hoping they'll get there in time.

* * *

When they made it to the parking lot to the docks, Malcolm spoke with wide-eyes as he saw the familiar vehicle in a parking spot. "There, that's the vehicle she rented." Usually they would use only one car, but Malcolm wanted a cooler sporty car for once so he splurged a little with his own money.

"Ok, park so we can get out."

He nodded before pulling in a parking spot a few empty spaces down, then after turning the vehicle off, they get out and started walking towards the right entrance of the ramp that led to the docks and closer to the boats, and just as they reached the bottom of the ramp, they see a man on the far right drop a body in the water, and Kevin immediately shouted. "Lizzie!"

The man who dropped her body in the water looked their way before starting the boat and driving away, before Kevin could run towards the place Lizzie was dropped, Malcolm stopped him and said. "You go after him, I'll get Lizzie, I promise."

Knowing she would never forgive him if he didn't try everything he could to get the suspect, which he would never forgive himself for that matter, he nodded before Malcolm ran to the right, and after Kevin looked around the somewhat empty docks, he saw a boat that had occupants on it, so he rushed to the far left, then spoke breathlessly when he reached the end of the dock "Excuse me, but I need to borrow your boat, it's an emergency."

With the occupant's back toward Kevin, he wasn't fully aware on who he was talking to until an unexpected face turned and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "And why do you need the boat, Mr. Woods?"

He looked at his boss with wide-eyes as he said. "Boss, he's here and he's getting away, he dropped Lizzie in the water."

Sara gasped and looked at Grissom, who had just came up from the cabin, and he nodded in acceptance, so after she nodded back and he got in quickly, him and Sara untied the boat from the dock before Grissom put it in gear and started going in the direction Kevin was pointing.

After a minute or two, still not seeing him, Sara spoke loud enough so Kevin can hear her. "Do I even want to know how this happened?"

He took a breath and looked at her before speaking. "I'll uh, I'll tell you about it later."

Knowing that probably was for the best, she nodded before Grissom spoke up, seeing them coming closer to another boat who was going equally fast, like it was on the run. "Is that him?"

Kevin turned his head forward before nodding after a second. "Yes, now get as close to it as you can."

Grissom nodded while Sara gasped and looked at him like he had two heads, knowing exactly what he was planning on doing. "Are you crazy? You realize this isn't the movies, right?"

"What other choice do I have? We want him in one piece after all."

Knowing she wasn't going to talk him out of this, she nodded with a sigh before replying. "Ok, but be careful, I don't want to explain to Nick why we are a CSI short." Then she smirked a little, but her eyes still showed him that she was serious. "And I would hate to break in a new second in command."

He nodded with a smile. "It won't happen, I give you my word."

"You better, or I'll kill you myself."

After a warm look between the two, Kevin moved closer to the side of the boat while a part of him was also thinking he must be crazy doing this, but the bigger part of him knew nothing would stop him because he wasn't going to let him go without a fight.

When Grissom was close to the side of the other boat, the suspect tried to ram his boat against his, so he pulled away, not wanting to get a lot of damage to his boat, then after the third time, Kevin locked eyes with Grissom, and the older man nodded, knowing the only way he could jump across to the other boat was to be very quick about it, so as Grissom got near again, Kevin took a breath while lifting his left leg up onto the side, then when the time came he used what ever leverage he had and jumped from Grissom's boat to the other one, landing on his feet but losing his balance a second later and rolling across the medium-sized deck, hurting his shoulder in the process, but shook it off as he stood up, then with the adrenalin pumping through him, a fight between him and the suspect started while the boat kept moving, until Kevin could get a big enough hit on him so he could stop the boat, but it didn't take the suspect much time to come back for more, and after a few more body shots back and forth, the suspect was getting the upper hand and eventually he was chuckling with a few cuts on his face as he brought a knife up to Kevin's throat and said. "Any last words?"

Kevin started to smile, even though his face was hurting, he said. "Yeah."

Before the suspect could speak again, he hears a cocking of a gun and the voice of Gil Grissom. "Let him go, it's over."

The suspect turned him and Kevin to the side so he could look at Grissom, then he smirked. "Oh, the old man wants to play, you better be careful with that, didn't your mother ever tell you playing with guns is dangerous."

Grissom narrowed his eyes and placed his finger on the trigger while Sara spoke as she looked at Kevin. "Kevin, what did I tell you the night you found out about my pool skills?"

He smiled a little wider as he replied. "That you should never underestimate your opponent."

Sara nodded before looking at the suspect. "You should listen to that advice, don't let his age fool you, he has an excellent shot."

The suspect's attention now turned to Sara. "Now the pretty lady wants to get involved." He then looks her up and down as his grip on Kevin slackened, then he shook his head and whistled a little. "Man, if you were younger I would show you how a man can plea..." He stopped when Kevin simultaneously moved to the right as Grissom's finger moved the trigger back and the bullet came out, hitting him in the thigh and making him cruse loudly as he dropped on the deck and released his knife so he could put his hands on the wound.

After Kevin kicks the knife further away from the suspect, he used the towel that was thrown his way from Sara and wrapped it around the guy's leg, tightening it with a smirk as the suspect glared and cursed at him, Kevin then used some rope and tied the other man's hands together, ignoring the other man's tirade, and as he was standing up, bringing the suspect to his feet, Sara smirked as she placed her hands on her husband's shoulders. "And I get pleased just fine by a real man, thank you very much."

Grissom's eyes sparkled as the suspect narrowed his, but before he could say something, Kevin gags him and said. "Let's get this scum to where he belongs."

Sara and Grissom nodded in agreement, and after Kevin tied the suspect to a railing towards the front of the boat, so he could keep an eye on him, they headed back towards the dock.

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AN: Find out what happens next. Another chapter coming soon. Please Review.


	6. Whatever it took

AN: Warning: Questionable words. Thank you for the reviews, here is the next chapter.

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Chapter 6: Whatever it took

When the group made it back to the docks, they saw a few cop cars and an ambulance in the parking lot, and after they tied up the boats they made their way towards the ramp that would lead them to the parking lot, then Kevin walked with the limping suspect towards Captain Miller. "I think you know what to do with this one."

The older man nodded with a smile as he took the suspect's arm. "Very much so." Kevin nodded before Captain Miller spoke again. "I'm going to need your statement."

"And I'll gladly give it to you, but can I..." He trails off as he nods towards the ambulance, where Lizzie was sitting at the back of it with a blanket over her shoulders while being looked at by a paramedic.

Captain Miller nodded with another smile. "Of course. In fact, if you want, one of my detectives could give you ride to the station."

"I appreciate that, thank you."

Captain Miller shook his head and held out his hand towards the younger man. "No, thank you."

Kevin gave him a smile and nod as they shook hands, then after they released them, he headed towards the ambulance while Captain Miller took the suspect to his vehicle as he was reading his Miranda rights, wanting to make sure they do everything right on this one, he didn't want anything to mess this case up, too many families were counting on this one to finally be over.

As he got closer to the ambulance, the paramedic was done checking on Lizzie, so she moved away and Lizzie stood up, both having eye contact with one another with so many emotions in their eyes, and when he was near, he immediately brought her into his arms, not caring that he still felt the pain from the fight or that she was wet, and hugged her as she hugged him back just as strongly.

As they were pulling back a few seconds later, she frowned a little as she cupped his cheek gently, seeing the few cuts on his face and knowing a few bruises were going to show soon, and he gave her a reassuring smile as he placed his hand on top of hers. "I'm ok, nothing that a few aspirins and a little rest can't cure." Then he frowned as he asked. "Why didn't tell me?"

She shook her head. "But I did, I knew you would've recognized the sign and connect the dots."

He took a breath and said. "But if I hadn't, then you could've, you could've..."

Not able to finish that sentence, he trailed off with as a tear made its way down his cheek, and she wipes it away as she replied. "Then I was prepared to do whatever it took, even if it meant losing my life."

He shook his head. "Lizzie..."

But she cuts him off with emotion. "Jennifer's death was the reason I became an FBI Agent, and if this was the last case I would have ever worked on, I knew it would be worth it in the end because you would have seen it through until the end."

Taking another breath, he asked. "How did you know he would follow you?"

A pause later, she replied. "I saw him that night."

Kevin's eyes grew wide in shock. "What?"

"The night Jennifer died, he asked to buy me a drink, and I said I had already ordered it, then he asked to buy me the next one, but I told him that my boyfriend wouldn't like that, then he stepped back and never pushed the issue, and I didn't see him for the rest of time that we were there. I honestly forget about that interaction." She started to have tears in her eyes as she finished. "Then I saw him in the bar staring at me, and I knew he remembered me while I started to remember him, and now I can't help but think that I am the reason he..."

Kevin cups her cheek and shook his head before replying with a hard, but reassuring, tone. "Don't do this to yourself, it's not your fault that he killed Jennifer, or any of the other women."

"But..."

He cuts her off again. "No, you also couldn't have known what he was planning to do, you said it yourself, he took the rejection graciously and you didn't see him again the whole time we were there. That's how he worked, he didn't want to cause too much attention to himself.  
He wanted to meet and greet them, then if it didn't feel right to him, he would back out and try it with some other woman, hoping the previous greets forgot about the interaction, and obviously it worked."

Lizzie thought about it for another second or two and nodded before wrapping her arms around his waist as he brought her closer to him again before he whispered. "She was the reason I became a CSI."

She pulled back and looked at him with a little shock on her face. "Yeah?"

"Yeah, watching you go through that, and never finding any closure, made me want to become a CSI so I could give that to other families."

She took a breath before speaking again, knowing the reality of it. "But it doesn't always work like that."

"No it doesn't." He then smiled a little as he finished. "But the ones that do, worth every second of the hard work you have to put into it."

She smiled with a nod in agreement, then while their eyes remained connected, she finally asked. "Kevin, I know I didn't want to hear this before, but I'm ready now, what we had, was it real?"

He smiled as he ran his thumb up and down her cheek. "Every second that we spent together was very real, and I'll cherish it for the rest of my life."

She nodded with a smile. "Me too."

After running his thumb up and down her cheek one more time, he slowly removed it as a woman paramedic with blond hair, which was in a pony tail, and blue eyes with a slim build and around 5'9, said. "Sorry Ma'am,, but it's time to take you to the hospital to get a full check up."

When Kevin had a worried look on his face, Lizzie spoke with a smile. "It's just a precaution."

He nodded in understanding before asking. "You want me to come with you?"

"Not unless you want a check up too."

The medic looked back and finally saw the damage he had on his face, so she raised an eyebrow, and he shook his head with a smile. "No, I'm fine."

She was about to open her mouth, but Lizzie spoke as she got into the ambulance. "Don't bother trying, he's one of those stubborn types." The paramedic smirked and shook her head as she stepped away for a few more seconds, and that's when she asked one more thing. "Will you come to the hearing with me?"

He nodded with a smile, wanting to see this case be officially closed himself. "I'll be next to you the whole time."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

When the paramedic came back, she got into the back of the ambulance and closed the door, and as it drove away, they waved bye at one another, then once it was out of sight, he said a few words to Malcolm, thanking him for what he did before they said goodbye so he could go the hospital and get checked out himself.

Then after watching the other agent leave, Kevin walked towards Sara and Grissom, who were at Grissom's vehicle watching him after they had given one of the detectives their statement on the parts that they knew, and he shook his head as he spoke to them. "You didn't have to wait on me, I'm really ok."

Sara looked at him with concern as she asked. "Are you sure? You don't need a ride or anything."

He shook his head. "I have a detective taking me to the station, then I still have to get my vehicle from the ba..."

He trailed off as he realized he was about to tell her he was at the bar drinking, but Sara caught on to that as she raised an eyebrow. "Something happened that made you go to the bar? So that means you were drinking."

He raised his hands up in surrender as he said with a smile. "Just a coupe of sips, half at the most, before all hell broke loose."

She smirked in return. "And I'm still waiting to hear how all the hell broke loose in the first place."

He nodded, then replied with a sigh. "How about breakfast tomorrow on me, I'll tell you everything."

"Everything?"

He chuckled as he brought his boss into a hug. "Yes, even why I was at the bar in the first place."

He knew she only wanted to know because she was concerned for him, and he actually liked that he could talk to her when he needed to. His first boss that was here before her was a good one and hard, but he seemed a bit too closed off for his taste, it felt like it was a strictly boss and subordinate type of relationship, unlike what he has with Sara, while it was still a boss and subordinate type of relationship, they also had an open and honest friendship.

They pulled back and she nodded with a smile, then Kevin looked at Grissom and held out his hand. "You are welcome to come too."

Grissom smiled as he shook the younger man's hand. "Thanks for the offer, but we'll see."

He liked that Sara's team can come to her when they wanted to have a personal talk, but he didn't want to feel that they have to sensor their type of talk when he was around, so while he does appreciate the offers, he doesn't usually join in.

Kevin nodded in understanding before saying one more thing. "And thank you for letting me use your boat, or I should say hop a ride on it."

Sara chuckled as she replied. "We'll it wasn't the calm ride we were thinking for tonight, but least we got to see how fast she actually rides." They all chuckled before Sara finished in a more serious tone. "And it was for a great cause, so you're welcome."

He nodded one more time before clearing his throat. "I'll let you get back to your night. I'll see you in morning."

After they nodded, he turned and started walking towards the police car, and after a seconds pause, Sara and Grissom look at one another before he asked. "You want to take one car back home, and come back in the morning for the other one? Or just take them both back now?"

She paused for a second to really consider it, then she shook her head and replied. "Nah, not worth the hassle, let's just take both cars now."

"Ok, let me walk you to your vehicle." She smiled with a nod as she held out her hand, and he smiled in return as he slipped his fingers through hers before they headed towards her vehicle, which was a few spots away, and right as they got there, Grissom spoke after clearing his throat. "Agent Thompson and Kevin, they had a history, didn't they?"

He wasn't really known to be talking about other people's relationships, but the interaction that he witnessed between them really got him curious.

They stopped at the driver's side of the vehicle, then she turned so her back was facing the door, and smirked a she cupped his cheek. "You tell me, you're the expert observer."

He couldn't help but smile back as he placed his hand on top of hers. "You aren't too bad yourself."

"Well, I learned from the best." His eyes were glowing before they softly kiss, and after they pulled back, Sara spoke again after a nod. "They did, and from the vibe that I had gotten, it was great until her best friend died, it totally flipped their relationship upside down."

He then sighed. "And now his feelings are stuck between the past and the present."

"Yeah, something like that." There was a long pause before Sara cupped his cheek again as asked with concern. "Hey, where do you go?"

He shook his head with a smile, then he sighed again before replying. "Nowhere, I'm just glad we don't have to go through that type of drama."

She chuckled with a nod before replying. "Yeah, been the..."

Grissom cuts her off when he placed a finger to her lips to stop her before replying with a serious look in his eyes. "You know it's always been you, right? No one else came close to what I feel for you."

She nodded, knowing that in her heart and seeing the truth in his eyes, before running her thumb up and down his cheek as she whispered with love in her eyes. "And it's always been you too."

They leaned toward one another and kissed with a little passion, also knowing they couldn't get too carried away here, then after pulling back, they put their foreheads together before he whispered breathlessly. "Let's go home."

She nodded as they pulled back, and after on more small peck on the lips, he stepped back and waited till she got into the vehicle, then after she started it, he headed towards his, and not long after, they were both heading home.

Their evening on the boat didn't go quite as they had planned it, but in someway it was better because they caught the man that has been on the loose far too long causing damage and sadness everywhere he went.

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AN: Thanks to those who have stuck around this long, more to come soon, I hope you all have a good weekend. Please review.


	7. He Knew?

AN: Warning: Questionable word(s). Thanks for the support, here is the next chapter, and a turning point for a couple.

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Chapter 7: He Knew?

After talking to Captain Miller personally on what happened tonight, and him getting a ride to the bar so he could get his vehicle, he called Lizzie to fully make sure she was fine before heading to his apartment, ready to take some much need aspirin and get a good night's sleep, but when he got to the second floor of his apartment complex, he sighed a little when he saw Nicole standing at his door with her back towards him, he wasn't really in the mood.

"Nicole, what are you doing here?"

She started to speak as she turned to look at him. "Where were you, I tried getting a hold of..." She stops speaking and gasps as she saw his face. "Kevin! Are you ok, what happened?" He stopped in front of her and she cupped his cheek gently while asking with a small smirk. "Should I be concerned about the other guy?"

Kevin couldn't help but smile a little, then he shook his head and replied. "I'm sure your concern for the other guy won't go vary far." She raised an eyebrow, and he finished after a sigh. "It was the suspect we were trying to find."

Nicola gasped again. "What! How...I...What!"

He nodded as he finished walking towards his door so he could unlock it. "It's a heck of a story, a chance meeting really, and I'll gladly tell you about it, but can I do that tomorrow?"

She could tell he was exhausted and the way he grimaced a little, she knew he was in pain, so she nodded. "Yeah, but I do need to talk to you about something, it's important."

Seeing the serious look on her face, He nodded. "Ok, come in."

"Thank you."

He nodded again as he walked into his one bedroom loft apartment, where his bedroom was upstairs while the kitchen was under it, and he had pretty good size living room.

After closing the door, he asked if she wanted anything to drink, and after she declined, he want to the kitchen, grabbed a water and a few aspirins, than after taking them, he walked over to her, who was standing in front of a medium sized window looking outside.

"So what's going on?"

She took a breath before handing him a white, letter sized envelope. "After you left my house earlier, I was upset and worried about us, and you know how I can get when I get like that, especially worried."

He smiled a little as he replied. "You clean, so what was the victim tonight?"

She smiled in return as she looked at him. "Jason's desk in his office, it's the first time I've cleaned out every drawer since he's been gone, and I found a letter he had written to me sometime after he was promoted to be out on the streets, I want you to read it."

He looked down at the envelope in his hands before looking at her and asking. "Are you sure? These are the last words he'll ever say to you."

She nodded with tears in her eyes. "I'm sure, read it."

He nodded and cleared his throat. "Ok."

After placing his water down on the window seat, he turned the envelope around and opened it before taking the letter out and began to read it.

 _Nicole,_

 _If you are reading this, then that means I'm gone from your life sooner than either of us wanted, and for that, I'm truly sorry, it wasn't suppose to be like this, we had plans, but you knew that._

 _I'm getting ahead of myself here, anyways, what I wanted to say first was that they have this tradition in the military where they write to the one they love or to family before going on a mission, and while I am not in the military or going on a mission, this is my first day out on the streets, and we both know how dangerous it could be for a cop and how fast a moment can change ones life, I still feel I need to write this so you can know everything I thought or felt about you that you didn't already know, or that I forgot to tell you, so here it goes._

 _The obvious, there has never been a woman that I loved more than you in my life._  
 _There has always been a debate if love at first sight does happen, and I have to say after meeting you, I know it does. From the second I met you, I fell hard, and even after all this time, including whenever you are reading this, that never changed, or ever will. I just really wanted you to know that because I never want you to doubt how much I love you._

 _Which brings me to my next point, if you are in fact reading this, and I'm really gone, then I know there is going to come a time when you have to move on, and you do Nicole, as much as I love you, I don't want you wasting your life being sad and/or angry all the time. I want you to open yourself up to love, happiness and joy again, it's what you deserve, it's what I want the most for you._

 _And when you do move on, I know where you'll be eventually heading, it's something I've always known, and believe me, you don't have to feel guilty about it because, while it might not have been as strong as either of us thought on your side, you still loved me. I felt it everyday we were together. You and Kevin were my best friends, and you two deserve to finally share the love that's been denied and/or not fully realized until now._

 _I know with me knowing how both of you felt about one another, and not saying anything to either of you, may seem like a selfish move on my part, and for that I'm sorry. I just couldn't let you go while I was alive, but I can let you go now, so go to him, share a life with him, and love him with your whole heart._

 _Love always,_

 _Jason_

Kevin looked up from the letter and looked at Nicole with a little shock as he whispered. "He knew." Nicole nodded with tears in her eyes as he continued after clearing this throat. "He knew and he still pursed you."

She whispered in return. "And you knew how he felt, but you never said anything to him or me to stop it."

He took a breath before speaking with his eyes watering. "Because I saw how much he wanted to be with you, how much you wanted to be with him. I saw it in your eyes Nicole, you loved him very much."

She nodded while sniffling before cupping his bruised cheek. "Yeah I did, but what I've come to realize the last few months was that it wasn't as strong as I thought it was, someone else had my heart the whole time and I didn't even realize it. I just felt too guilty and scared to admit to myself, let a lone to you."

Kevin's heart started to race as he whispered. "What are you saying?"

She nodded as she stepped up to him and whispered while her eyes remained on him. "I'm saying that I love you Kevin, and I'm sorry it's taking me this long to finally admit..."

He cuts her off as he placed a finger to his lips. "That doesn't matter. What matters is that you are saying it now." As she nodded, he looked down at the letter for a few more seconds before looking into her eyes again and asking. "Him approving you to puruse a life with me made you come here tonight, didn't it?"

She shyly answered. "I'll admit reading that letter did help speed up the process a little." She then ran her thumb up and down his cheek as she continued with determination in her eyes.  
"But you have to believe me, I would have eventually come to terms from the guilt I was feeling and fully embrace us, because there was no way I was giving you up without a fight."

Seeing the truth in her eyes, he felt a little relived, then he smiled. "I love you."

Her eyes glowed in return as she replied. "I love you too." Then she sighed and shook her head. "I just can't believe how stupid I've been, how did I not see this before?"

He sets the letter down on the window seat and placed his hand on top of hers that was on his cheek before replying tenderly. "Because love works in mysterious ways, sometimes you're not going to get a bolt of lightening, it can come to you slowly, unexpectedly, and it only wants you to see it when the time is right." She nodded in agreement as they took a step closer to one another, then he cleared his throat and asked softly as he removed his hand from hers and cupped her cheek, almost making her close her eyes at his gentle touch. "Can I do something that I've been wanting to do for a long time?"

Her heart started racing as she whispered softly, even though she knew what he wanted. "What?"

With his heart racing, he replied. "Kiss you."

She nodded slowly as they leaned towards one another, and after a short pause, both hearts racing to new heights, they closed the gap between them and their lips touched, but a second later he pulls back hissing in pain, and Nicole looked at him with sympathy as she said. "Split lip, just our luck." He chuckled as he placed his forehead to hers, then once they calmed down, she spoke again. "At this point, when we do finally kiss, it better have some magic to it."

He smiled in agreement. "Like moving mountains, or making the earth shake."

"Yeah."

He wrapped his arms around her and whispered. "I have no doubts."

"Good to know."

After standing there for a few minutes of silence, he pulled back and asked. "What or when are you, we, going to tell Carson about us."

She took a breath while taking his hand, then as they were walking towards the couch, she spoke. "I don't want to lie to him, but I think it's best if we gradually tell him. Like being careful what we do or say in front of him, maybe you have a little one-on-one with him at times, let him see that you really care for him."

He took her hand and squeezed it with a nod before replying. "You know I do, that boy means everything to you, so he means everything to me."

She smiled, happy he really meant that, then after a few minutes, she noticed he looked more exhausted than he did when she saw him out in the hall. "You should get some sleep, you look exhausted."

He sighed with a nod before speaking without thinking. "Yeah, jumping from one moving boat to another, then getting into a..."

She cuts him off, shocked about the new details on what happened tonight. "You did what?"

He shyly replied. "Oh, I guess I didn't tell you that yet."

She sarcastically said in return. "You think." Before She sighed and continued with concern. "What were you thinking?"

This time he sighed. "It was just something I had to do."

She frowned when she asked. "For Lizzie?"

He slipped his fingers through hers as he replied. "For me, and everybody else he had hurt. I couldn't let him get away. I had already let Lizzie down before, and I wasn't going to do it again."

She shook her head and squeezed his hand lightly. "It wasn't your fault Jennifer died."

"Lizzie said that too, and as much as I want to believe both of you, I think a part of me will always feel that way. It's something I have to deal with."

She nodded, knowing she wasn't going to convince him otherwise, then replied with love in her eyes. "Then I'll be there to help you with that, if you want."

He nodded with a smile. "Thank you."

"No need to thank me, it's just something you do when you love someone."

They couldn't look away, showing how happy they are about this new step in their relationship through their eyes and smiles, but eventually the tiredness took its tool on Kevin, and he started to yawn so he covered his mouth with his free hand.

Once it ended, he looked at her a little shyly, but she just smiled as she stood up, taking him with her. "Alright you, let's get to bed."

He raised an eyebrow as he asked. "You staying?" Then he smirked. "I have a shirt you can borrow."

She smiled as they stopped at the base of the stairs. "You know that will take a different meaning soon."

He smiled slightly as he cupped her cheek. "I know, and we can wait for as long as you want for that step, I'm just glad where we are now."

"Me too, and I will be glad to stay, then in the morning you can tell me what the hell happened tonight, and who was driving the boat?"

He smirked. "Oh, I can tell you that part right now, Grissom, and Sara was on it." Seeing another look of shock on her face, he chuckled as he tugged on her hand. "Come on, the sooner we go to sleep, the sooner you'll get your answers."

"And don't leave out a detail."

* * *

After Sara and Grissom walked into their apartment, Sara decided she wanted to take a bubble bath to rid her of the day, which Grissom didn't hesitate on accepting the offer of joining her, even adding candles and wine to their activity, and after they were in their medium-sized Jacuzzi tub, with her back against his chest, they sighed in content as they took a sip of their red wine.

Once he swallowed first, he asked. "You ok?"

She nodded as she swallowed her drink. "I'm just glad it's over. I wish he had already been caught before tonight, but least we know the number won't escalate." Then she couldn't help but smirk as she turned her head around so she could look at him. "And if I didn't say it yet, good shot."

He smiled slightly before replying softly. "Just because I never liked carrying my gun out in the field, never meant I don't know how to shoot."

"Oh, believe me, when I told him not to underestimate an opponent, I fully meant that. I know what an amazing shot you have."

He nodded before replying. "That does leave me curious about something."

She turned back around and placed her back against his chest as she asked. "What?"

He moved his mouth closer to her ear and whispered, making her shiver slightly as she involentualy closed her eyes. "Why did you want me to take the shot, your aim isn't too shabby either."

She took a moment before replying softly. "I figured with you in the lab during the rest of your time working as a CSI, I thought I would give you one last hurrah, make you feel you were apart of it."

He couldn't help but smile as he whispered again. "Thank you, dear." Then he moved his head down and kissed her lightly on her bare shoulder before admitting what he felt when he pulled the trigger. "I wanted to take more than one shot at him."

Sara opened her eyes and turned her head to look back with him with concern in her eyes. "Why? Besides for the obvious."

He sighed as he moved his free hand up, the water and bubbles dripping from his hand, and cupped her cheek. "Because of what he said to you."

She gave him a slight smile as she replied. "If you heard half the things suspects say to me on a daily bases, you would have a major gun problem on your hands. You know how they are, or at least some of them, it's not like we arrest them because they are good citizens."

"I know." Then his eyes soften as he whispered. "But you shouldn't be talked like that, you deserve.."

She cuts him with a bigger smile as she moved her hand up to his that was still on her cheek and took it off before kissing it softly. "Loving words?" He smiled with a nod as she continued while running her hand up his arm and cupped his cheek. "Now that's why I come home to you, because I know what ever crap I have to go through or hear, I have this amazing, wonderful, loving man who could make the rest of my evening better. Does it happen all the time? No, we still have our tiffs every now and then, but it's worth it when we are in sync."

She moved her head to the side a little so he could have a better angle before they share a kiss, which got a little deep, but before they turned it into something more, he slowed down and pulled back before whispering sadly. "And the time when I wasn't there?"

She sighed as she laid her head back against his right shoulder and replied. "I'll admit it was harder, and at one point I almost thought of changing professions."

He had to admit he was a little shocked at that. "Really?"

She nodded with a slight smile. "Yeah, teaching." He smiled with a short nod, he could really see that, as she finished. "But, really I knew I wasn't going to go anywhere, being a CSI is what I do, and I knew I still had a lot to offer, which was another reason why..."

He cuts her off. "You wanted the supervisor spot."

"Yep, so even on the hard days, I wasn't going to back down. I've been through them before and I knew I could continue to survive them." He sets his wine glass on the side of the tub before wrapping both arms around her neck and she placed her free hand on top of his arms as she finished. "I'm just glad you came back to me, so there are less hard days in my life."

He then kissed the side of her head and whispered. "Me too."

They sighed in content before it got quiet between them, then after about another half hour, which they had washed each other's hair and back, they got out of the tub, slipped on their robes, blew out the candles, and took their wine glasses to the bedroom before putting on some sleeping clothes and slipped under the sheets in the bed, where they each grabbed the books they have been reading off their nightstand, and continued where they had left off the last time they had read.

About 15 minutes later, Grissom feels eyes on him, so he turned his and smiled at his wife with a raised eyebrow. "Anything I can help you with, dear?"

She shook her head with a smile as she reached up and cupped his cheek. "No, I just love watching you from time to time."

He couldn't help but smirk in return. "It's the glasses, isn't it?"

She smiled, but her response was very serious. "Oh, yeah, sexy as hell." She watched him shyly smile for a few seconds before she continued with a more sincere look. "Thank you."

He looked confused as he asked. "For what?"

"This evening, you knew what I needed."

He made sure the bookmarker was in place and closed his book before placing his hand on top of hers that was still on his cheek. "You're welcome, anything for you that could help. Although the boat ride, like you told Kevin, took an unexpected turn."

"True, but totally worth it in the end."

He nodded as he slipped his glasses off before they leaned toward one another and kissed softly, then after they pulled back, they put their foreheads together before she sighed. "I still feel bad for Detective Wilson, I can only imagine how it feels to lose a child."

He pulled back and looked at her with concern as he cupped her cheek. "You haven't..."

But she cuts him while slowly shaking her head with tears in her eyes. "I still want a child with you, you?"

He sighed. "I wish we could bring our child into a better world, but seeing as we can only do so much, it will have to be good enough." Then he ran his hand up and down her cheek as he continued with emotion. "So, more than ever before."

The more he thought about sharing a child with the woman he loved, the more he liked it. Yeah, the age still made him a little hesitant, but he knew once he saw their little one, it will erase all of his doubts.

His thoughts were interrupted when she smirked, but she still had a serious look in her eyes. "Well, no pressure there then."

He looked at her with concern again as he shook his head before replying softly. "And I don't want you to feel that way." She was going to open her mouth, but he continued as he moved his hand from her cheek to her stomach as he finished with emotion again. "Yeah, I want to have a child with you, but I don't want you stressing or worrying if it doesn't happen right away, it's not going to do you any good, ok?"

She nodded while sniffling as she moved closer to him and kissed him on the lips, which there was no hesitation on his part, and after a couple of passionate minutes, they pull back breathlessly, then she whispered. "I love you."

"I love you too, honey."

They go back to kissing a few seconds later, and before he knew it, she was straddling his waist and started going for the buttons on his shirt as their lips remained connected, but after the third button came undone, he placed his hands on top of hers and pulled back slightly, trying to catch his breath, then he looked deeply in to her eyes and asked. "You sure you want to tonight? because this wasn't..."

She cuts him off with a smile. "I know you didn't have this in mind, you just wanted to comfort me, and you have. But now I want to." Then she said softly. "I need you."

Not needing to be told twice, he placed his glasses and book, both of which had fallen on the mattress, on the night stand before turning his attention to his wife by cupping her cheek and whispering. "And you have me, forever." Before their lips touched again, which lead them down a path that wasn't planned tonight, but neither one was complaining.

* * *

AN: More to come soon. Please review.


	8. Three weeks later

AN: Thanks for the reviews, sorry about the short delay, but here is the next chapter.

* * *

Chapter 8: Three weeks later

Devon woke up with the sound of his girlfriend getting sick in the bathroom, and when he turned his body to look at the clock on his nightstand he saw there was an hour before they had to get up and get ready for work, then his attention turned back towards the door when he heard the toilet flushing.

He was just about to get up when the bathroom door opened abruptly before Mariah, who was wearing one of his shirts, went to the corner of the room, where her bag that she brought last night was on a chair, and grabbed a pair of sweatpants and slipped them on, and he thought she was just going to crawl back into bed, but when she continued her movements, grabbing her shoes and socks and putting them on in a frantic way, he sits up so his back was against the headboard and asked in concern. "What's going on?"

Finally realizing her boyfriend was awake, she looked at him as she walked to 'her' side of the bed, waving off his concerned look with a small smile. "It's nothing, I just realized I forgot to pack something last night, so I have to go home."

Devon wasn't sure if he totally believed her, but didn't push the issue, instead he just looked at her fondly when he replied. "You know that it wouldn't happen if you move in here."

She looked at him a little wide-eyed. "Move in here?"

He nodded as he scooted to 'her' side of the bed she was standing next to, and took her hand before asking again. "Yes, I'm asking you to please move in here."

Still a little speechless, she asked in a nervous tone. "Isn't that a little fast? We've barely been together a month."

Although she did have a point on both counts, and maybe he was asking a little sooner than he had planned, but he couldn't help it. No other woman made him feel this happy before and to him this milestone in their relationship just felt right, so he smiled with love in his eyes. "I know what I want, don't you?"

She looked into his eyes for a few seconds, falling in love with him even more than she already did, then she snapped back to it, and slipped her hand out of his as she spoke nervously again. "I, uh, I have to go."

He looked concerned again as he watched her walk to her bag. "Mariah?"

She turned around for a second and just said. "I'll see you at work."

It was obvious he wasn't going to get answers, no matter what, so he just said the next best thing right as she got to the doorway of his room. "I love you."

The 'L' word had been used between them for about a week now, and it still held its meaning, which was one of the reasons Mariah had tears in her eyes when she replied. "I love you too." Before walking out of the room.

Devon sighed and ran his hand down his face, hoping that whatever was going on with his girlfriend, she knew that she could tell him.

Now knowing he couldn't get back to sleep, he sighed again as he slipped out of bed and stood up, reveling him in nothing but boxers, then after slipping on some sweatpants, he got ready for his morning run, something he doesn't do too much these days, but still loved it, especially days when he felt he needed to clear his head.

* * *

15 minutes later

Nicole was sitting at her kitchen table, drinking her morning coffee, while also enjoying a little alone time before she had to wake up Carson so she could take him over to a friend's house while she worked, when her phone starts to vibrate. A part of her was hoping it wasn't work as she was picking it up, and she had gotten her wish when she was reading the text message. _'Please let me in, I didn't want to use the doorbell.'_ but it made her curious on why Mariah would be here, especially this early.

She shook it off as she stood up, leaving her coffee and phone in the kitchen before heading towards the front door, and when she opened it with a smile, which lasted a second when she saw the other woman almost in tears, so she asked in concern. "What's wrong?"

A few seconds later, Mariah pulled a box out of the paper bag she had in her hands and held it up, speaking with a few sniffles. "I didn't know where else to go."

With her best friends living in different states, and her family living in Washington, her team was really the only people she could turn to in times like this, and Nicole was the first person that popped in her head.

No mistaking what she was holding up, Nicole gave her a nod and smile as she moved to the side to let her in. "And you're always welcome here, anytime."

She softly said 'thank you' as she walked into the house, and after the door was closed, Mariah headed for the bathroom, ready to take a test that could change hers and Devon's lives forever.

* * *

While Mariah was finding out if her life was going to change, another couple across town was wondering the same thing about their own lives.

Sara sighed while sitting at the end of the bed and asked. "How much time has gone by?"

Grissom, who had been sitting next to her on the bed holding her hand, looked over at her and replied sincerely. "About a minute since the last time you asked."

She sighed again, then cleared her throat before asking. "Distract me then. Talk about something."

"Like What?"

Sara shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know...anything." She paused for a second before giving him a smile. "Baseball, how are your Cubs doing?"

He smiled in return as he squeezed her hand. "You already know how they are doing."

That was true, she not only knew what their win/loss record was at the moment but every stat each player on the team had, and while it didn't mean the greatest deal to her to know all of that, she didn't have the heart to tell him, so whenever he had a fact or stat he wanted to tell her, she listened to every word. Plus, it helped when she loved the sound of his voice, so she could have been listening to anything he had to say.

She nodded with a smile. "I know, but I love how happy you look when you talk about them."

His eyes sparkled a little as he nodded, then he cleared his throat and started talking about them, and after a bit, he stopped and she asked. "So, you hope they are going to the World Series this year?"

He smirked. "That's what I hope every year." She couldn't help but smile again before he continued with a nod. "But this year does feel different, so I'm going to say..."

He gets cuff off when they heard the timer go off in the bathroom, indicating it was time to see if their lives will change starting this month, so they look in that direction for a second or two, then they looked at each other before she whispered. "Can you check? I'm too nervous."

He gave her a short nod, then after kissing her forehead, he gets up from the bed and walked to the bathroom with his heart racing, and while he has felt nervous before in his life, he didn't think it ever got this intense before, so he took a breath as he stopped at the bathroom counter, then he waited another second before he looked down to see the results, and once he did, but before he could react, he hears Sara's voice from the doorway. "What's it say?"

He took a breath before he looked her way, and the sad look on his face a second later made her know exactly what it said, so she started to have tears in her eyes, so while he shook off his own feelings, he walked up to her, wrapped his arms around her immediately as they whispered comfort words to one another as the tears came down their cheeks.

After a few minutes, they pull back before he cups her cheek and speaks with emotion/comfort. "This is only one try, we got plenty more."

They both agreed that if they didn't get pregnant on their own by the end of the year, then they will talk about what other options they could do.

Sara knew that, but she couldn't help but be sad that she wasn't pregnant with his child yet. "I'm sorry."

He shook his head and wiped a few tears off her cheek as he continued. "You have nothing to be sorry about. We both knew it wasn't going to be this easy." She nodded again and looked down before he lifted her chin up so he could look into her sad eyes as he finished with nothing but love in his. "You can take all the time you need, but please don't think you let me down or pull away from me. Like I said, this..."

She cuts him off with a nod and small smile as she cupped his cheek. "This is only one try, I know." He nodded as she continued. "And I'm ok, really. I'm not going to run and hide from you. This feeling just took me by surprise is all."

He gave her a little smile as he took her hand from his cheek and kissed before replying. "You didn't know how much you really wanted a baby until this moment."

She nodded with a sniffle. "Yeah."

Even when she decided that she did want to have a child with Grissom, she still wasn't completely sold on the idea, and that a large part of her felt she was mainly doing this for him because she could tell the more he thought about a child, the more he liked the idea. But after taking that pregnancy test/waiting for the results, she realized that she really did want this child more than she thought she did, and after finding out that it was negative, she'll admit it was a slight blow to her.

He gave her one more small smile as he brought her in his arms and held her to him as he whispered. "Then I guess we'll just have to keep trying until it happens."

She smirked a little as she ran her hand up down his back. "Oh, and I bet you won't like every minute of it."

He replied with a smirk as they were pulling back. "You have no idea." When they looked into one another's eyes again, they were filled with nothing but love and devotion, then he cupped her cheek again and replied softly with comfort. "But only when you're ready. I still don't want you to feel pressure about this, ok?"

"Ok, and I'll try."

His eyes twinkled as he brought her closer to him again before kissing her forehead and whispering. "That's my girl."

When they pulled back a few seconds later, she clears her throat before speaking. "I uh, I should finish getting ready for work."

Before she could walk away, he took her hand again as he asked. "You sure you don't want to play hooky today?"

She shook her head as she asked with a raised eyebrow. "And miss the last day of you being an official full-time CSI, I think not."

He chuckled while shaking his head a little. "Why, it isn't like I won't see them all at the park later, where a party is being held in my honor, right?"

She smiled shyly as she cupped his cheek. "Sorry, I know you don't like it when the spotlight is on you, but the team wanted to do something nice for you, and I didn't have the heart to stop them."

With a smile on his face, he nodded. "It's ok, just as long as you're by my side."

She brought him closer to her and whispered with love in her eyes. "Always."

They kissed softly a few times, then when they placed their foreheads together, she whispered. "I love you."

"I love you too."

They kissed one more time and released one another before they started on the task of getting ready for work, while they both tried to shake off the disappointment they felt about finding out they are not pregnant at this time.

* * *

AN: I know, not the result that you all wanted, but the good news there is more to come, so there is still a chance, stay tuned for more. Please review.


	9. A Good Time Interrupted

AN: Thanks for the reviews, here is the next chapter

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Chapter 9: A Good Time Interrupted

After shift

From the moment they got in the lab and Sara handed out assignments, things became busy, so they had work to distract them from earlier events. And with Kevin in court today, the team had to do extra duty, so Sara was kind of glad that she didn't take Grissom up on his offer of playing hooky today, not that she didn't want to spend any alone time with her husband, but she knew that if she would have, she probably would have been behind for a week, maybe even a little longer than that, so in the long run it was better they came in today.

Now that shift was coming to a close, which everybody was thankful that it didn't turn out to be a double, Mariah, Nicole, Grissom, and Tim were in the break room doing paperwork, while Sara was in her office, when Devon cleared his throat from the doorway and smiled. "I think some one got lost."

They all looked up from the paperwork before a smile started showing on their faces, especially Tim's as he stood up from his seat. "Lindsey, you're early. I was suppose to pick up at the airport in two hours."

Not only did she want to come and visit her boyfriend as soon as possible, but she found out that the team was giving Grissom a 'goodbye' party, so her mom wanted her to come and support him for her and Greg since they couldn't join.

She smirked as she walked into the room, while Devon goes and sits down at the table in-between Nicole and Grissom. "Why, you need to hide something?"

They all chuckled as he walked up to his girlfriend, and shook his head with a smile. "Of course not, I'm just surprised, and for the record, it is a good one."

They all said 'aww' as Tim and Lindsey share a hug, then as they were pulling back, Grissom had walked up to the young woman with a smile on his face, which she smiled back as she shared a hug with her 'Uncle'.

"It's nice to see you Lindsey."

"You too Uncle Gil."

He then whispered in her ear. "I guess I don't have to ask why you're here, other than to see Tim, do I?" As they pulled back she gave him another smile and shook her head, having a feeling she knew that he knew about the party, making Grissom nod with another smile. "Well, in any case, I'm glad you're here."

"Thank you, I am too."

Their little moment was interrupted when Sara walked into the room, which before she addressed the team, she smiled as she walked up to Lindsey. "Lindsey, hi."

Lindsey smiled at Sara before giving her a hug. "Hi, Sara, it's nice to see you."

"Nice to see you too."

After they pulled back from the hug, Sara looked at her team. "Alright guys, let's call it an evening and finish up the paperwork tomorrow." Then she smirked knowingly as they were getting up from the chairs they had been sitting in. "I'm sure you have some things you need to be doing." The team started smiling knowingly, making Grissom mentally roll his eyes with a smile, as they started walking towards the door, but before Mariah did, she smiled at Lindsey. "How about riding with me?"

She shared a look with Tim, and he gave her a nod with a smile, so Lindsey nodded at Mariah. "OK, I'll meet you outside."

After Mariah nodded, she left the room, and after a hug between Tim and Lindsey, Tim also left the room so he could get ready.

After about five minutes Lindsey said goodbye to Grissom and Sara, and after husband and wife share a warm look between them, Sara left to go back to her office, while Grissom walked back to the table, grabbed his last file and walked out of the room so he could finish up in the office he shared with Nicole and Kevin.

* * *

While Tim, Nicole, Mariah, and Devon was in the locker room getting their things from their lockers, Mariah was making sure they had everything for the party, and when she realized there wouldn't be enough drinks and snacks, she asked the guys if they would go to the store and pick some up.

Devon smiled at his girlfriend, whom he had thought she had been ignoring all day. "I would be happy to."

Mariah smiled softly at him in return before looking at Tim. "Would you go with him?"

Tim smiled as he replied. "Do you really need both of us..." He trails off as he noticed she was giving him an evil look, and he knew well enough to know that if she wanted him to do something he might as well without fighting it, so he nodded with a more sincere look. "Sure, why not."

Mariah nodded with a satisfied nod. "Thank you."

The guys nodded before walking out of the locker room, and once they were gone, Nicole looked over at her female co-worker and asked. "How are you feeling?"

The younger woman took a breath before replying. "I felt a little sick off and on, but nothing I couldn't handle, or make anybody suspicious."

Nicole nodded in understanding before walking up to her so they could talk a little quieter. "You need to tell him, Mariah."

She nodded with tears coming in her eyes, then she tried to shake them off as she asked. "I have a feeling these emotions are going to come and go, aren't they?"

Nicole smiled with a nod. "I'm afraid so, one minute you'll be laughing, then the next you'll be crying or yelling."

Mariah sighed as she sat down on the bench, then looked down at her hands. "I don't know how to tell him, I don't even know how I feel about this."

When Mariah started to have tears in her eyes again, Nicole sat down beside her and placed her hands on hers in comfort. "And there is nothing wrong with how you are feeling, this is a huge change/step, just know that no matter what you decide, you are not alone. I'll help you with anything you want or need."

Mariah looked at her with a smile, even though tears were still in her eyes. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, and I bet you'll have Devon too. I've seen the way he looks at you, he's in love with you, and I don't think he'll turn his back on you or this baby."

Mariah nodded before finishing. "Well, he did sort of asked me to move in with him this morning."

Nicole gets a bigger smile on her face as she squeezed the younger woman's hands. "See, he does feel your relationship is getting deeper."

"Yeah, but I don't think he expected to skip right to the baby part."

Nicole just chuckled before she asked after a seconds pause. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah, and I promise I'll tell him later, I just don't want to overshadow Grissom's day."

"Alright."

After releasing her hand, the women got their items from their lockers before walking out of the lab, meeting Lindsey at Mariah's vehicle before they headed towards the park.

* * *

At the Courthouse

After the judge sentenced the suspect, Paul Knight, the victims' families all sighed in relief, including Jennifer's mom and older sister by five years, her dad died in a vehicle accident a few years after the murder happened, so he wasn't around to see the justice. Then while the Moore family was in the restroom, Kevin and Lizzie walked out of the building with smiles on their faces, then they smiled at each other before giving one another a friendly hug.

When they pulled back, Kevin asked. "You've been concentrating on one thing for over six years, and now that it has been put to rest, what's next?"

Lizzie sighed and shook her head. "I'm not sure, but I think a vacation is in order."

Kevin chuckled a little with a nod. "You deserve it, I hope you have fun."

Lizzie nodded with a smile. "I intend to."

Right as she said that, Whitney, who had been in the courtroom prosecuting the suspect, spoke with a smile of her own. "Intend to do what?"

Kevin and Lizzie looked at the other woman before Lizzie replied. "Having a fun vacation."

Whitney smirked. "Sounds nice, what is that again?"

They all chuckled slightly before the Moore family walked up to them, and after they thanked Whitney and Kevin for what they have done, Kevin and Lizzie shared a hug, had one more nice smile between them before she walked away with the family, and while Kevin was watching her,  
he wondered a little if this was going to be the last time he'll ever see her, making Whitney look at him. "You ok?"

Kevin nodded as he looked over at the attorney. "Yeah. I think a small part of me will always wonder 'what if' with her, but the bigger part of me, the part that I can't ignore, knows that Nicole and I belong together, so I know I'll never second guess my choice."

Whitney nodded in understanding, but she couldn't help but wonder if Nick had felt that way with her. She could see how he talks about Catharine, which is slightly different than how he talks about Sara, and the closeness they had seemed to be at Greg's wedding. Did he really love her enough to not second guess on being with her?

Kevin's voice, while he held out his hand to her, broke through her sad thoughts. "Thank you for what you did today."

Whitney smiled as she shook the man's hand, while shaking her thoughts away. "I would say just doing my job, but this one felt good. I'm glad to do this case, so you're welcome."

He smiled in return with a nod, then as they were releasing hands, Kevin asked. "You want a ride to the park for Grissom's party?"

"Thanks, but I want to go home and change first, I'll see you there, soon."

"OK, and thanks again."

After she nodded, they went their separate ways so they could get to their vehicles and leave the courthouse.

* * *

At the Park

Grissom and Sara arrived at the park not long after Nick, Lindsey, Nicole and Mariah had, and they weren't there very long before Sara's phone started to ring, so she gave them an apologetic look before walking a few steps away so they could continue talking, and turned around while answering her phone with her married name without looking at who was calling her. "Grissom."

A few moments later, she hung up with a shocked look on her face, so when she turned around and everybody except Grissom, since his back was facing her, looked at Sara's face, Nick asked with worry. "What's wrong, Sara?"

Grissom immediately turned around hearing the words and tone of Nick's voice, then frowned as he took the few steps towards her, and cupped her cheek before asking in concern. "What happened?"

She cleared her throat before speaking softly, but loud enough for the others to hear her. "There's been a car accident."

They all gasped with worry on their faces, knowing it could be any one of their significant others, while Mariah's hand instinctively went to her stomach as she asked with her voice shaking. "Who was it?"

She looked into her husband's eyes before she looking at her friends/colleagues and took a breath.

* * *

AN: UH-oh, who is it? Find out next chapter. Please Review.


	10. One moment can change everything

AN: Thanks for the reviews, here is the next chapter, and getting closer to the one I know you have all been waiting for, just hang on a little longer.

* * *

Chapter 10: One moment can change everything

She was about to open her mouth, when they all heard Tim's voice. "Why does everybody look so serious?"

Both Mariah and Lindsey silently sighed in relief as they saw their boyfriends, they even got up from sitting on the bench, rushed over to them and hugged them tightly, making them drop the bags they had in their arms, and as they were pulling back, Devon asked in concern, while Tim was thinking the same thing. "What's wrong?"

Nicole, whose heart was still racing from what Sara said, spoke softly, while silently praying this wasn't happening to her again. "There has been a car accident."

Both Tim and Devon looked wide-eyed before all eyes were on Sara again, and after a second, she looked at Nicole before stopping her eyes at Nick. "Nick, I'm..."

He cuts her off immediately as he stood up from the bench with his heart racing, not wanting to believe it was true. "No..."

Sara stepped away from her husband and started walking towards the other man, but he just shook his head again as he held up his hands. "Don't say it, I have to go."

Before Sara could say anything else, Nick was already rushing towards his vehicle, passing Kevin on his way, and when Kevin stopped amongst the group, he asked. "What's up, why was Nick running like he was on fire?"

Once again before Sara could speak, Nicole had walked right up to him, brought him in her arms and held on like she never wanted to let him go again.

As he held her, he felt her desperation, so he asked again. "What's wrong?"

She started to sniffle as Sara finally spoke. "Whitney was in a car accident."

He looked at Sara with wide-eyes and cleared his throat before speaking. "It wasn't long since I saw her, I even asked if she wanted a ride. She said that she wanted to go home and change first."

They all took a few more seconds to process what just happened, then Mariah asked. "What should we do now?"

Sara looked at Grissom before asking. "What do you want to do, call it a day and reschedule?"

Grissom cleared his throat before asking. "What would Whitney want us to do?"

They all smiled before Tim walked to the cooler, opened it up, pulled out a soda, opened the can and lifted it up before saying. "Party on." They all chuckled before he continued with a smile. "Well not in those words, but you get the idea."

As he was taking a sip, Sara looked at Grissom again, asking with her eyes if that's what he wanted, and he nodded. "Let's just continue, and the next party we have will be in her honor."

Sara nodded while looking at her team. "Alright, in Tim's words, party on."

They all chuckled one more time before going back to partying mode, but they would all be lying if they said their thoughts never went out to Nick and Whitney.

* * *

A Few Hours later

"No that's ok, just try and enjoy the rest of your night."

"Alright, but my thoughts are with you and Whitney."

Nick cleared his throat to get the emotions out, but there was still some when he replied with a few tears in his eyes. "Thank you Sara. I'll text or call later."

"Ok, bye."

"Bye."

After he hung up, he was just putting his phone in his pocket when he saw Brad, who made this journey without his parents since his mother was in the middle of doing a very important surgery and his father wanted to wait until his wife could come, ran towards him, so he stood up from the chairs, and spoke while placing a hand on the other man's shoulder. "I don't know anything yet."

Brad just nodded while he was trying to catch his breath, and once he did, he was about to speak when he heard his name being said, so him and Nick turned their heads to the side and saw another doctor standing there before Brad looked at Nick. "I'll see what's going on." Nick just nodded before watching Brad walk over to the other male doctor, who was about his height, had a shaved head, and he would bet that he had no problem getting dates.

Once Brad made it to the other doctor, Nick was paying attention to their body language to see if he could find out if the news was good or not.

After what felt like an eternity, Nick saw that Brad was done with the conversation with the other doctor, and after patting him on the shoulder, he started walking his way, while he still tried to see if it was good news or not, but like a few minutes ago, he was unsuccessful, he was dealing with doctors who were very good at only showing what they wanted you to see after all.

When Brad stopped in front of him, Nick didn't hesitate on asking. "What's wrong?"

He took a breath before replying. "It was touch and go for awhile, but she pulled trough surgery just fine."

Nick felt relieved, but only for about a moment or two because he saw something in the other man's eyes. "There is more, what aren't you telling me?"

Brad cleared his throat before speaking with more emotion than he did before. "I've done surgeries like hers, and I know every case is different, but more often times than not it's the same result."

With Nick's heart racing, he asked. "What does that mean, what are you trying to tell me?"

Brad took another breath before replying softly. "I'm sorry, but there is a possibility that she's paralyzed. She may never walk again."

* * *

When the party at the park officially ended, Devon asked Mariah if she wanted to come over, and knowing she needed to talk to him, she agreed, so after arriving in his apartment, he asked while shutting the door. "Want anything to drink?"

Feeling slightly nervous, she nodded while clearing her throat before replying. "Yes, please."

He gave her a small smile in return. "Ok, coming right up."

She nodded, and while he headed for the kitchen, Mariah goes to the couch and sat down with her heart racing.

When Devon returned to the living room, he saw Mariah sitting down on the couch with her coat still on, so he asked with a smirk, but deep down he was a little worried. "You planning on not staying long?"

She looked up at him with confusion while taking the glass of water. "Huh?"

He pointed toward her jacket. "You still have your jacket on."

She smiled with a slight chuckle as she leaned forward so she can place her glass on the coffee table. "Oh right."

As she was taking it off, Devon looked at with concern as he sat down. "What's going on, Mariah? You seem very distracted, which I would just chalk it down to what happened to Whitney, but you seemed to be distracted all day, and especially this morning." His voice got softer as he finished. "Did I do something wrong? Do you uh, do you want to break up with me?"

He had to admit the last thing he said nearly broke his heart, but he didn't want her to stay in a relationship with him if wasn't right for her.

His thoughts get interrupted when he heard her low voice. "No, you did nothing wrong and I don't want to break up with you."

He silently breathed a sigh of relief as he placed his hand on hers. "Whatever it is you can tell me."

Mariah reached for her glass of water and took a long drink before lowering her glass down, then she turned her head to look at the man she loved, and saw nothing but love in his eyes, of course the concern was there too, but the love part was all see was concentrating on.

She took another moment, a little surprised that he couldn't hear or feel her heart beat since it felt like it was going to beat out of her chest, she then took a breath before finally opening her mouth and saying the words. "I'm pregnant."

* * *

When Tim and Lindsey left the park, they did a little sight seeing, then when they got hungry, they ordered two to go meals from a Mexican restaurant before he drove them towards his one room, medium sized apartment.

Once they arrived there and was inside, he placed their bag of food on the coffee table before giving her the tour, and when he was done, he shyly mentioned. "I know it isn't much, but..."

She cut him off with a smile while thinking how cute he gets when he has that shy look on his face. "It's fine, you have nothing to be embarrassed about. I'm not deciding the fate of our relationship on the size of your apartment."

He smiled with a nod. "Good to know."

She nodded in return before asking. "Now can we eat?"

After he nodded one more time, he went into the kitchen to get plates, silverware and the drinks, then once their plates were filled, they ate while had a little small talk.

As their meal was coming to an end, Lindsey felt that Tim's eyes were on her, so she looked over at him with a smile. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

She was going to lift her hand up to her cheek but he took a hold of it with a small smile. "No, you're perfect."

Lindsey smiles shyly at his words. "I don't know about that."

He leans towards the coffee table and places his plate on top of it before turning his attention on her again, cupping her cheek with his other hand. "To me you are, and I can't believe that I'm with you. What I feel for you is like nothing I've ever felt before."

When he stopped to regain his emotions, Lindsey, having a feeling on what was coming next, tried speaking. "Tim..."

But he cuts her off. "Lindsey, I know it hasn't even been two months yet, but I know my feelings for you are real and deep." With his heart racing, he finished. "I love you."

Lindsey's eyes started to fill up with tears as she asked. "Is this because of what happened to Whit..."

He cuts her off again. "Yes, and no. What happened earlier only made me remember that life can change in an instant, and I didn't want to waste another day on not telling you how I truly feel." He ended with emotion. "Because I really do."

Lindsey nodded with tears still in her eyes as she cupped his cheek with her free hand. "I can see that you do." He nodded before she continued after clearing her throat. "Outside of my parents and other family members, I've said that word to only one other man before, and I really thought I did, and that what we had was real." She stopped for a second before she sniffled as she finished. "But then I realized that it wasn't, it was all a lie, he just wanted me to think it was, so when it ended I told myself I would be careful next time."

When she stopped talking this time, Tim ran his thumb up and down her cheek as he looked at with her with nothing but love and concern. "Lindsey, this time is..."

She cuts him off with a smile as ale placed her hand in top of his. "Then I met you, and the caution part of me flew right out the window, I mean who asks a man they just met to hang out, in the dark, at a park to watch the sunrise. I had to be nuts." They both chuckled before she got serious again. "But the feelings I had toward you from the start were also nothing I have ever felt before, and they are only getting stronger."

Tim, who didn't show his emotions so easily, had a few tears in his eyes as he whispered. "What are you saying?"

With both hearts racing, she whispered in return. "I love you too."

Their smiles were beaming, and after she placed her plate on the coffee table, they turned to one another, both showing with their eyes exactly how they felt before leaning towards one another and kissed, eventually making it one of the most passionate kisses they had ever shared.

Once they finally pulled back, mostly because of needing air, they put their foreheads together to get it back, then after they did, she pulled back first, stood up and held out her hand, whispering. "We can get the dishes later, right?"

He smiled as he slipped his hand into hers and replied as he stood up. "Sure, what do you have in mind now?"

When he was standing in front of her, and with her heart racing, she placed her fingers on the buttons of his shirt, undoing the first one to let him know what she was thinking, but after the second one, he placed his hand on top of hers to stop her movements, making her look up with worry that she was doing something wrong.

But he just smiles to relieve her and spoke softly as he cupped her cheek. "I just want you to be sure about this. After the afternoon we had and the words that was just said, emotions can run pretty high."

She nodded in agreement before also speaking softly. "I am aware of that, but I do want this, I'm ready to move on to the next stage of our relationship."

After seeing the absolute truth in her eyes, he leans down and kisses her softly a few times before pulling back with a smile. "I love you."

Her eyes were sparkling back. "I love you too."

They kissed one more time before he lead her to his bedroom, both ready to fully share their love for one another.

* * *

After arriving at the front door to Nicole's house, Kevin knocked, then not long after, the door opened and Nicole smiled at him before stepping back to let him in while she was finishing up her conversation with her son on the phone, who had been with one of his best friends all day. "Ok sweetheart, you can stay the night, and I'll have your grandma pick you up there tomorrow, I love you." When he said their code word for "I love you" When he was with his friends, she smiled before saying goodbye and hanging up.

She sighed softly before he spoke. "I guess we are without a kid for an evening."

She smiled with a nod in return. "It appears so, so what's the plan now?"

They were just going to watch a movie and spend time together so they could get Carson use to Kevin being around him.

He shrugs as he replied. "We can still do the movie, unless you want to go out?"

She shook her head a second later. "I don't feel like going out, so a movie is fine with me." He nodded with a smile as she finished. "So how about you pick it out while I'll get some wine, is white ok?" He nodded before she turned to the direction of the kitchen while he walked to the living room to pick out the movie.

When they met on the couch, she handed him a glass of wine before he started the romantic comedy, and about half-way through the movie, their concentration shifted towards themselves rather than the movie, like how her head was on his shoulder, or his arm was around her shoulders, and they wouldn't be a bit surprised if ether one of them felt or heard their racing hearts.

It was a moment of basking in the closeness before she lifted her head from his shoulder, then their eyes met before he started to cup her cheek and run his thumb softly against it, making her heart melt even more. She lifted her hand to cup his cheek, but stopped a second later, seeing the wedding band she still wore, and she knew in that moment that it was time to take it off.

The moment Nicole's fingers from her other hand went around her wedding band, he started to speak. "Nicole..."

But she cuts him off with a smile. "It's time, Kevin. A part of me will always love him, mostly because he's the father of my first born son, but if I want to start something new with you, I have to officially let him go."

He nodded as he replied after clearing his throat. "I just don't want you to do something you're not ready for."

She smiled warmly at him before replying softly. "I appreciate that, but I am." Kevin nodded again before Nicole did something she doesn't normally do, outside of few times when work got really messy, she slipped her ring off her finger, but also knowing this time it wasn't going back on. She then looked at it and placed it on the coffee table.

They both started looking at it for a moment or two before looking into each other's eyes again, then she cupped his cheek, gave him a loving smile, which he returned, before brining him closer to her. They stopped for a second before finally closing the gap, sharing a kiss that's been way overdue.

When air became an issue, they pulled back slowly and placed their foreheads together before they both whispered. "Wow." Then they chuckled, and when they could speak in full sentences again, Nicole smiled as she removed her forehead from his. "That was definitely worth the wait."

His face was beaming as he nodded. "Very much so." Then he cleared his throat before asking. "But let's not wait years before we do that again, ok?"

She chuckled again as she cupped his cheek, then with nothing but love in her eyes, she whispered. "Not a chance."

He started to smile again, but it was cut off when she placed her lips to his again, not that he was complaining though, especially with how right it felt to be kissing her.

* * *

While Sara hung up the phone from talking to Nick, Grissom had walked into the bedroom from the bathroom and walked up behind her before placing his arms around her waist and kissing her head before asking softly. "How is he doing?"

Sara sighed as she placed her hands on top of his. "Scared. He doesn't know anything yet, he said he'll let me know when he does." Grissom nodded in understanding before she spoke to him after turning around so she was looking into his blue, caring eyes. "He really loves her, and I don't know what I can do for him if he lost her."

He cups her cheek as he spoke softly. "I know it's hard when you don't have news, but don't go there."

She nodded with another sigh before kissing him on the lips, then after she pulled back, she started walking towards the bed when her husband spoke after clearing his throat. "I thought that there was something going on between him and Catherine?"

Sara turned around and raised her eyebrow, a little shocked at her husband. She knew that but to be honest she wasn't sure if he had been aware of it. "Really?"

He nodded with a smile before he continued, shocking his wife a little more. "Well, guess at first it looked like it would be her and Warrick, but then after he..." He trailed off at the look his wife was giving him before he smiled as he asked. "What?"

She shook her head as she crossed her arms over her chest with a small smile. "I'm just surprised that you were aware of your team like that."

He smirked as he walked up to her. "I wasn't a CSI for over 20 years for nothing, you know."

She looked at him lovingly as she cupped his cheek. "I know, but you're really close to the team, and sometimes you miss things when it comes to them. I mean look at the signs they missed when it came to us."

He chuckled slightly with a nod before he cleared his throat and placed his hand on top of hers that was still on his cheek. "Ok, honestly, I wasn't fully aware of what was going on between my team until us. Things started to become clearer then."

She nodded in understanding because she felt that way too, before she cleared her throat and continued. "And you're right about them, but now things are different. Catherine has let that go and is happy for him, and Nick, I think the moment he found out Whitney was in that car accident, he realized he fell harder for her than he had anticipated. And now I just want everything to be alright, and for them to be happy."

Grissom nodded in agreement before bringing his wife in his arms for comfort, but he also had to admit it was for relief too, not that he wanted Nick, or any of the others for that matter, to feel pain, but the thought of Sara being in that car accident, sent him reeling, even in this moment.

Sara felt him shutter a little when his thoughts turned a little to the dark side, which she didn't need to ask what was wrong since her thoughts were about the same thing, and she held on to him tighter, whispering how much she loved him.

When they pulled back a few moments later, he cupped her cheek and they kissed softly, mostly for comfort, then when they pulled back, they placed their foreheads together and he whispered. "How about I make us some tea and we can cuddle for the rest of the night."

She pulled back and nodded with a smile. "I like that idea, thank you."

"You're welcome honey."

They gave each other one more peck on the lips before he turned to walk out of the room while she turned to the bed and turned the covers down. Then when he returned to the bedroom, he handed her tea before getting in the bed on his side, and after a sip or two, she moved closer to him and cuddled into his arms, feeling safe and protected through out the night while positive thoughts were sent towards Nick and Whitney, hoping they will overcome this unexpected ordeal.

* * *

AN: Find out what happens next. More to come soon. Please review.


	11. Committed?

AN: Thanks for the support, here is the next chapter.

* * *

Chapter 11: Committed?

Mariah woke up to the smell of breakfast coming from the kitchen, and she couldn't help but smile as thoughts from last night came through her mind.

 _Flashback_

 _It was several seconds of silence, which felt like hours to Mariah, after she had said the words 'I'm Pregnant', and the still shocked look on his face was making her quite nervous, so she cleared her throat and started to speak. "Devon, please say something."_

 _He cleared his throat and shook his head. "Right, um pregnant, as in..." He does a rocking motion with his arms, and she nodded with a small smile, then he cleared his throat and nodded again. "Ok, uhm, wow."_

 _When he was about to speak again, Mariah continued before he could. "And please don't have the next words 'we were careful' come out of your mouth."_

 _He chuckled, and that seemed to get him out of his stuttering state. "A very cliché thing to say, huh?"_

 _She chuckled in return with a nod. "Yes.'_

 _He cleared his throat one more time before placing his hand on top of hers and asked with concern. "How are you feeling?"_

 _"The sickness comes and go, which is the norm I hear, and I'm a little nervous this is happening, but other than that I'm alright." She took a breath then finished with tears in her eyes as she told him exactly how she was starting to feel about the whole situation. "I love you Devon, but I want this baby. This may have not been planned, but he or she is a part of me, and the thought of..."_

 _She trailed off, not even able to say the words, and Devon looked at her with shock for a second before cupping her cheek with his other hand. "No! I would never ask you to do that, or make you choose, ever." Not able to keep them inside anymore, her tears came down her cheek and he wiped them away as he continued softly. "You're right, this wasn't planned, at least right now, but I was kind of hoping it was in our plans eventually. It just moved up a few steps than I had imagined."_

 _Mariah smiled through more tears as she asked. "Really?"_

 _He nodded with a smile as a few tears were showing in his eyes. "Absolutely, since we started seeing one another, all I can think about is building a life with you, and if this step comes first, then so be it, I'm with you every step of the way, I'm not going anywhere. babe."_

 _Mariah sighed in relief after hearing those words from him and immediately wrapped her arms around his neck as she cried softly while saying. "I love you."_

 _He wrapped his arms around her and whispered. "I love you too, so much, and we are going to make this work, I promise."_

 _She nodded as they continued to hold on to one another with so many different emotions running through them they couldn't pick out the most dominate one._

 _End of Flashback_

Her thoughts about last night were interrupted when she heard and saw Devon come into the bedroom with a breakfast tray. "Good morning, I thought I would help start your day out right."

She beamed as she sat up in bed. "Well, thank you, I appreciate it."

He nodded as he sat the tray down in place before walking to his side of the bed as she groaned in more appreciation of the meal he cooked after taking her first bite. That's one thing she was kind of surprised about when it came to him, his cooking. Which it turned out cooking was in his genes, both his grandpa and dad were chefs and they taught him everything they knew.

While she was in the middle part of her meal, she looked over at him, which he was looking over at her, so they smiled before she asked after clearing her throat. "So, I have a question."

He reached for hand while asking. "Ok, what is it?"

"You remember asking me something yesterday?"

He didn't hesitate as he nodded. "I believe I sort of asked you to move in here with me."

"Well, do you still, maybe, want to live together?"

He smiled as he slipped his fingers through hers. "Are you asking me now?"

"Uh, call it a joint asking, but only if..."

She trailed off, now unsure about the offer, and he spoke a second later, relieving her of her fear. "Yes, the offer is still there. I would love for us to live together."

She smiled again as she replied. "Awesome." He chuckled before kissing her hand, then she sighed as she took her hand out of his. "I better finish eating, I still have to get ready for work." Which with thoughts of work, she thought of Nick, so she asked. "You think Director Stokes will be in today?"

Devon's response was immediate. "No, I don't think so, if you had..." He trailed off as she took his hand again and gave it a squeeze for comfort before he finished after clearing his throat. "Well, I wouldn't leave your side for a second."

She just nodded as she slipped her hand out of his again so she could eat, both hoping everything was ok since they didn't know what was going on yet. They just knew Sara would tell them once she found out.

* * *

Tim gets a little shocked that he was woken up by his alarm, so after turning it off, he moved closer to his bed companion, wrapped his arms around her and whispered with a smile. "I thought I turned off my alarm yesterday." With Lindsey being here for a visit for a few days, so he had that time off, he had turned his alarm off since there wasn't any set time they had to be up.

Lindsey smiled as she opened her eyes before whispering in return. "As amazing at it would be to stay in bed with you all day." His smile got brighter at that before she continued in a serious tone. "We both know there is a chance Nick isn't going to the lab today, so more than likely Sara will be covering for him, making your team a little short for the day."

He sighed slightly before he continued. "You're probably right. I'm sorry."

She turned around so now she was looking at him before she cupped his cheek as she continued. "Hey, things happen that's beyond our control sometimes, and you have to do what you have to do, believe me, I know that very well."

He nodded in understanding. "Because of your mom."

"Oh, yeah. There were times it was frustrating, and sad when our plans got cancelled, but now that I'm doing what she does, I get it, and I understand more about it."

After one more nod, they peck each other on the lips before she moved and got out of bed, wearing nothing but one of his old San Diego State t-shirts, before walking towards the bathroom.

When she had walked back into the bedroom a few minutes later, Tim was at his dresser pulling out some clothes, then once he was done, he turned around and looked at her for a second, then smiled, making her smile in return as she raised her eyebrow. "What?"

He then cleared his throat before speaking on what he had been thinking. "I don't think I can do this."

She gets a worried look on her face and her heart started to race as she asked. 'What do you mean, I thought that..."

He cuts her off as he goes to the end of his bed and sat down. "The deeper our relationship becomes, the more I realize that I can't plan our relationship on just visits, so I've been thinking that maybe I should move to Vegas. What do you think?"

She looked at him with shock. "What!? For real?"

He nodded with a smile. "For real, if you'll have me in your city."

She chuckled while moving towards him and kissed him softly, then after they pulled back, she asked with concern as she cupped his cheek. "What about your team?"

He sighed with a nod. "It will suck that would have to leave them behind, they've been more like my family than co-workers, the best one I've ever had, But..." He stopped for a second to cup her cheek. "I love you, and I think if we are serious about us, our time should be spent together, not most of it being apart."

She nodded a second later as she ran her thumb up and down his cheek. "I agree, so if this is something you really want, I'm behind you, and I would love it."

He smiled before they share a soft kiss, then after they pulled back again, he continued. "We'll talk more about it later tonight. I love you."

"I love you too."

They kissed one more time before he finally stands up, and with his clothes, he walks to the bathroom so he could get ready for work, both excited for the next step of their relationship.

* * *

After Kevin and Nicole woke up in her bed, which all they did was sleep, they headed down towards the kitchen to make breakfast, and they were moving around in sync they've been doing this for years.

Then after the third time meeting in the middle, Kevin smiles as he wraps his arms around her. "I could get use to this."

Nicole smiles in return as she wraps her arms around his neck, whispering, "Me too." Before their lips touched.

But as they were pulling back there was voice they were not expecting to be heard. "Mom?"

They turned to look over at the boy, and he shook his had with a sad look on his face before rushing out the room, and Nicole gives Kevin an apologetic look before following her son out of the room, while Kevin sighed slightly. He never wanted him to find out about him and his mom like that.

Before his thoughts could go further, they were interrupted when another person showed up in the doorway of the kitchen, Jason's mom, Carson's grandmother.

Kevin immediately cleared his throat before he started speaking. "Susan, I..."

But the brown-haired, hazel-eyed, 5'7, medium build, 56 year old woman, raised her hand to cut him off. "Nicole is a young woman, I never expected her to be single for the rest of her life, and I know my son would want her to move on and live her life." As Kevin nodded, she couldn't help but smirk. "Only I guess I should have known it would have been you."

He smiled shyly before clearing his throat and sincerely replied. "Just know that I respected what your son had with Nicole, nothing happened between us while he was still alive."

Already believing in her heart that he was telling her the truth, she also saw it in his eyes, so she nodded with a small smile. "I know."

As Kevin nodded, Nicole had walked back into the kitchen with a sigh before Kevin spoke. "How is he?"

"Upset, I tried talking to him, but he doesn't want to hear it right now."

Before could he speak, Susan did it first. "You still want me to have him today?"

Nicole looked at her Ex-Mother-in law with small sigh and nod. "As much as I know I need to talk to him, things at work might be a little off today, so they could be short-handed, and I need to go in."

Susan nodded in understanding before replying. "While he's with me today, I'll talk to him."

"Thank you, and about..."

Susan cuts her off with a smile and an understanding look in her eyes. "It's ok. I know how hard you've taken the loss of your husband, my son, but now it's time to find happiness again." She then smirked again as she nodded towards Kevin. "Besides, I think he'd approve of this one."

Nicole nodded with a smile, remembering the letter he had written to her. "I know he would have."

Susan nodded in return before finishing. "I'll talk to you later."

"OK."

After they said 'bye', Susan turned and walked out, leaving Nicole and Kevin in the kitchen together, then when they looked at one another, he spoke first. "I'm sorry, I know this was not how you wanted them to find out about us."

She walked up to him and took his hand. "No, it wasn't. But neither one of us thought they would show up here in the morning, I thought he had packed everything he needed for the night and day."

Kevin nodded, then he couldn't help but smirk next. "Well, look at it this way, least the hard part of telling them is done. Now all we need to do is smooth out the sharp edges."

She nodded and replied, but she was a little lost in thought. "That's true." Then she took a breath and continued. "Kevin..."

But he cuts her off as he squeezed her hand lightly. "Listen, I know this will take him time to get use to seeing us as a couple. But eventually, he'll come around, and I don't care how long it will take or what I have to do to show him that I love and care for him too. I'm not walking away from you, or him. You two are stuck with me no matter what."

He knew exactly how Carson feels because he went through the same thing when his mom started moving on after his father had died when he was 12, and now he had a very good relationship with his step-dad.

She nodded again with a smile before replying with a small sniffle. "Thank you. I love you."

He whispered in return. "I love you too."

After they pulled back from a soft kiss, he sighed. "As much as I don't want to leave right now, I should go home, take a shower and get ready for work. I have a feeling we are going to be very busy today."

"I'll see you at the lab soon."

"Ok."

They kissed one more time, then after one more smile and 'love you' was said, he walked out of the kitchen before walking out of the house, shutting the door behind him.

Nicole sighed as the toast lifted up from the toaster, so she decided on just toast this morning as she worried about her son and how the day will be like.

* * *

Grissom woke to the sound of the bathroom door opening, and when he opened his eyes, he saw his wife walking in the room, dressed with her hair wet, indicating she had just taken a shower.

They smiled at one another as she moved to his side of the bed, and after a soft kiss, they pull back before she spoke softly. "Good morning."

"Good morning, honey. You're up a little early."

She nodded with a short sigh. "Yeah, I thought I would get ready and go to the hospital to see Nick." He nodded in understanding as she continued. "And speaking of that, could you do me a favor?"

He gave her a slight smile as he spoke, knowing what she was going to ask him. "Go to the lab, pass out assignments and tell Kevin he's in charge today?"

Sara smiled in return with a nod. "Yeah, if you don't mind. I'll cover for Nick if he wants me to, so he doesn't have another thing to worry about today."

"Don't worry about it, I got it."

"Thank you."

He nodded as he started to get out of bed, then as he walked toward the bathroom, he continued. "I'll bring in lunch later."

She smiled warmly at him before replying. "I would like that, thank you."

He smiled warmly at her, which only made her heart skip a few extra beats, before continuing his way to the bathroom as she finished getting ready for her day, having a feeling it was going to be a long one.

* * *

After Nick walked out of Whitney's hospital room, leaving her parents and brother behind, he headed for the nearest coffee machine, and just as the liquid was coming out, Brad's voice was heard next to him. "What are you doing?"

A very tired looking Nick looked at Brad and replied. "I'm getting your mom some coffee, what do you..."

Brad cuts him off while shaking his head. "That's not what I mean, you heard what I told you last night, so what are you doing?"

Nick's eyes narrowed as he realized what Brad was saying. "Wait a minute, you thought I was just going to walk away after hearing my girlfriend may never walk again?"

Brad sighed. "Well, you wouldn't be the first person to leave their significant other after something like this happens, so if you are, you might as well do it now rather than wait a few months down the road."

Nick shook his head after grabbing the coffee. "Well, I'm not, not now, or in a few months."

He started walking away when Brad spoke again. "Why stick around?"

Not in the mood for this, Nick turned around with his eyes blazing. "Why do you think? I love her."

Brad stopped in front him, eye level to one another, as he spoke in a hard tone. "If you love her so much why are you two still just dating? You've been with her for over a year now, and you two are not even living together or engaged, so what's really holding you back from fully committing to her." Before Nick could say another word, Brad took the cup from him and walked away,

Nick clinched his fists a few seconds later as he walked towards the coffee machine again, but instead of getting another cup, he kicked it right before he heard Sara's voice. "What did the coffee machine ever do to you?" He turned to see Sara standing there before he sighed and walked over to the chairs that was next to the machine and sat down.

Sara walked towards the chairs and sat down next to him before looking over at him with sympathy, he looked completely exhausted. "I know it's a stupid question, but I'm going to ask anyways, how are you doing?"

He sighed again as he ran his hand down his tired face before replying. "Tried, and completely frustrated." He let's some of his emotions out as he finished. "Brad said she may never walk again, and there is nothing I can do to change that for her."

Sara placed her hand on his arm as she spoke softly. "I'm sorry Nick, but you know what you can do, right?"

He nodded with a sniffle. "Be there for her and help her though this, and that's what I'm intending to do. I'm not leaving her."

"I know you love her."

He smiled with tears in his eyes. "I really do, and if you can see it, then why can't Brad?"

She looked confused and concerned. "What makes you think Brad..."

Nick cuts her off. "He accused me of holding back my commitment to her. And a part of me gets it, he wants to protect his sister, but he should know..."

This time Sara cuts him off. "Why have you been holding back?"

He looked at her with wide-eyes, a little shocked that she would ask that. "What!"

"I mean it's been over a year and..."

Nick cuts her off as he stood up. "Not you too! Listen, not all relationships are the same, they all go through different speeds."

"You're absolutely right, but most of the time the two people who are involved are on the same page. Are you sure Whitney knows just how committed you are? I mean there has to be a reason Bard is questioning your commitment to her."

She knew the siblings were close, so she wouldn't have been surprised if Whitney had said something about her and Nick's relationship to her brother, or that he might have picked up something on his own.

"Of course she knows." He stopped for a second before continuing. "Or at least I think she does." Then he sighed as he sat back down, being completely honest with her and himself. "Honestly, I don't know. I guess a part of me has been holding back a little."

Sara spoke again after clearing her throat. "Would it have something to do with you still holding on to a little feeling for Catherine?"

He looked at her with a little shock. "You Knew?"

Sara nodded with a smile. "I did."

He shook his head with a smile. "Why am I not surprised." She chuckled softly before he continued with a sigh. "But I know it's time I give up on that, if we were meant to be it would have happened by now. But you have to know I never faked how much I felt for Whitney, the day I met her really did change my life. I just didn't realize how much until..."

Sara cuts him off one more time with tears in her eyes. "I told you about the accident."

Nick nodded with tears in his eyes as he nodded. "I don't want to lose her."

Sara nodded as she brought him in her arms for a hug. "I know, and you won't, just finally let her in, let her see your whole heart."

As they were pulling back, Brad's voice interrupted the moment. "Whitney's awake, and she wants to see you Nick."

Nick and Sara shared a smile before he stood up and started walking, passing Brad without a word, and after a few seconds, Brad and Sara look at one another before she spoke. "Give him a chance Brad, he really does love her."

Brad really wanted to believe her, and in Nick, but he sees the doubt in his sister's eyes every time her relationship with Nick was brought up in conversation, so he sighed and replied softly. "I guess we'll find that out in the next few months."

Sara nodded as she stood up, having complete faith in one of her best friends. "I guess we will."

Then they started walking towards Whitney's room in silence, thankful she's now awake and silently vowing to help her any way that they could.

* * *

AN: More to come. Please Review


	12. A Family's Surprise

AN: Thanks for the reviews, here is the next chapter.

* * *

Chapter 12: A Family's Surprise

About 2 months & 3 weeks later

Knowing Grissom for as long as Sara had, she knew there were few things that made him nervous, he just wasn't normally a nervous person, of course she found out years ago; in fact the night they became official, he had confessed he been nervous around her from the moment they had met. And looking back at it now, while she still don't remember ever seeing him nervous around her, she could now understand why at times he was a little harder on her, not knowing how else to handle his feelings toward her back then.

Now fast forwarding to this moment in time, where they, along with Stephanie, Jacob, the San Diego team, and Nick and Whitney, are all hanging out in Nicole's living room; since her house was the biggest out of the group, watching game 5 of the World Series that included her husband's beloved Chicago Cubs, who hadn't won it in decades, were on the verge of winning the game and taking it to a game 6. She could literally feel how nervous he was while holding her hand, and she bet if she looked close enough, she could see the sweat going down his cheeks.

Then when the team made the final out, and he looked at her, his face was filled with joy and excitement, making her feel the same, which she could have cared less about the game, but because it meant a lot to her husband, she had been cheering them on for him. Plus, it was hard to hide the excitement when everybody else in the room was just as happy, even though she mostly felt it was just for Grissom's sake.

After a few minutes of the room cheering, clapping and hugging one another, Grissom got their attention before speaking with a smile. "Now it's not over yet, they have two games left and they can't lose. Now that's when the big celebration can happen."

They nodded a few seconds later, then Kevin took a breath before he started speaking. "You're right, and it's a shame we can't enjoy that special win with you."

Grissom looked a little confused and he raised an eyebrow. "Why?" Then he looked at Nicole. "Do we need to find a new place to watch it, because if that's the issue, I'm sure..."

He gets cut off by Stephanie, who was also smiling. "That's not what he meant."

Now Sara was a little confused, but before either one could speak, Nick stood up from the dinning room chair he had been sitting in and handed him an envelope from his pocket. "Open it."

Grissom took the envelope from the younger man and looked at Sara with a curious look, but she was just as curious on what was gong on too, so she shrugged her shoulders.

Knowing she couldn't help him out, he finally opened the envelope and pulled out four tickets, one set was dated for November 1 (Game 6), and the other set was dated November 2nd (Game 7, if Necessary).

Sara gasped when she saw them while Grissom sat there speechless for several seconds before looking up at Nick and speaking with emotion. "You didn't have to do this."

Nick smiled, then spoke with emotion in return. "Well, to be accurate it wasn't only me who bought them, everybody in this room and a few people we love and care about in Vegas pitched in." He cleared his throat before finishing. "After waiting this long to see your team on the big stage, you, and a companion of your choice, deserve to go see them in person. Now we can't guarantee they'll win the next two games, but least you can say you were there."

Now another thing Sara knew about Grissom was that he was known to hold his emotions, good and bad, inside a lot of the times, and he only showed it to the people closest to him. But this time he was overcome by so much of it, he had no choice of letting it out in this moment as he spoke to the young man he admired. "Thank you. What you." He stopped for a second so he could look at everybody else in the room. "All of you have done for me, thank you. This means more to me than words can really express."

They all nodded with bright smiles as Nick spoke after clearing his throat one more time. "That's all you need to say then, and you're welcome."

* * *

Hours Later

After everybody had cleaned up their share of dirty dishes, they all left the house, and as Nicole and Kevin were finishing cleaning the kitchen, Carson walked in the room. "Good night."

Nicole was the first one to answer with a smile. "Good night, honey. Do you want me to tuck you in?"

Now Carson knew he was old enough to tuck himself in bed, but sometimes he just wants a little time with his mother without some one else around, so he nodded. "Yes please."

Nicole nodded and handed the washcloth to Kevin before walking towards her son, and just as she got there, Kevin spoke towards the young boy. "Good night, champ."

Carson just nodded before him and his mother walked out of the room, making Kevin sigh slightly. He knew that gaining his trust on a different level than he had been would be hard and wouldn't happen overnight, but he wished he had a little more progress after over 2 months, nearing a third. But then again he still didn't care how long it took, because he loved them both too much to give up now.

When Nicole had walked back downstairs, Kevin was waiting in the living room, and when he saw her, he stood up from the couch and spoke with a smile. "I should go."

She gave him a sad look as she stopped in front of him. "Are you sure?"

He nodded as he looked towards the stairs. "Yeah, I don't want to get in the way."

Knowing what he meant by that, Nicole does a little sigh before wrapping her arms around his neck. "I know things with him have been moving a little slower than you would like." Then she smirked as she finished. "But least it progressed to a head nod tonight, when previously his response was a glare or grunt."

Kevin chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "True, so we are getting somewhere."

She nodded with a smile. "Yeah, I like to think we are."

When he saw the worried look in her eyes, he continued with a smile. "I'm still not walking away from you guys."

Relief flooded in her eyes again as she whispered. "That's good to hear." Before she touched her lips to his and they kissed for several seconds.

When they pulled back a little breathless, they placed their foreheads together before she asked. "You sure you want to leave?"

He whispered in return. "You sure you want me to stay?"

She pulled back and looked into his eyes, showing him deep love and desire in them as she removed one of her arms around his neck and held it out as she replied softly. "Yes, and in a different way than your other sleepovers."

Getting the meaning right away, he spoke softly. "Are you..."

She cuts him off as she placed a finger to his lips to stop him. "I'm ready Kevin, and I don't think I really have to ask if you're ready too."

He smiled with a shake of his head before slipping his fingers through hers. "I've been ready for you for years." She smiled in return, and after a soft peck on the lips, she led him upstairs and to her bedroom, both ready to share something they knew would be magical.

They may have not been each other's firsts, but they wouldn't be surprised if it felt like it, in the best way possible.

* * *

After Nick and Whitney left Nicole's house, he took her to his apartment, and once they were inside, he pushed her wheelchair towards the bedroom, and after helping her get ready for bed, he picked her up from her chair and carried her to 'her' side of the bed, and after she was in, she sighed slightly as she looked down at her hands before he covered them up with his hand and spoke. "Whitney...""

She cuts him off a second later. "I'm sorry, I'm still not use to this. I'm use to doing..."

This time Nick cuts her off with a smile and tears in his eyes. "Everything yourself, I know, and eventually you'll be able to again."

She squeezed his hand while shaking her head. "You don't know that Nick, I could be this way forever, and if you are still with me because you're clinging on to the hope that things will change, then..." She finished with tears in her eyes. "I don't think we can be..."

Nick cuts her off again. "Marry Me."

Whitney looks at him with wide-eyes. "What!?" As he nodded, telling her she heard him correctly, she continued. "This is not something to be joking about."

He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it before continuing. "I'm not joking, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Whitney now had tears in her eyes for a different reason. "Did you just hear what I said? I could be like this forever, meaning there is a chance we'll never have kids."

He cupped her cheek with his other hand and continued with emotion. "There are other ways to have kids if it comes down to that. But as long as I'm with you, I'm ok with that."

She placed one of her hands on his cheek as she spoke. "I love you Nick, I think I loved you the second we met in that courtroom, and I've honestly been waiting for his moment..." She stopped and looked around the bedroom, stopping her eyes on her wheelchair for a second before looking at the man she loved again. "Well, maybe not exactly like this, for awhile now. I just want you to be..."

He cuts her off one more time. "I've been thinking about this moment for awhile now too, and I'm sorry it's not at the most romantic spot in San Diego. But I don't want you to ever doubt how much I love you and want to be with you. I almost lost you once, and the thought of it coming true is unbearable."

When she could see how much emotion he was showing through his eyes, she knew his words were true, and in that moment the rest of the doubts she had about them melted away, and she didn't care on the location on when he proposed, just that he did, so there was only one answer she wanted to say. "Yes.'"

Nick gave her the brightest smile she had ever seen as he repeated. "Yes?"

Whitney chuckled/sniffled as she nodded her head. "Yes, if you fully understand on what you're getting yourself into, then my answer is yes."

He chuckled this time as he moved forward, then after a few long kisses, they pull back and put their foreheads together as he whispered. "I love you, and I fully accept on everything I'm getting myself into."

She smiled and replied with a soft, happy sigh, finally feeling complete, especially where love was concerned. "I love you too."

* * *

When Sara and Grissom made it back to their apartment, they went through their nightly routine, and once Grissom was done and sitting up on his side of the bed, he picked up the white envelope he had gotten earlier, opened it, pulled out the World Series tickets and just looked at them with a smile and sparkle in his eyes, and when Sara walked out of the bathroom and saw the look he was giving the tickets, she smirked. "Should I sleep on the couch tonight and let you share the bed with your new companion."

He lifted his eyes from the tickets and looked at his wife with a smile and smirk. "Ha, Ha, very funny."

She smiled brightly in return as he started putting the tickets back in the envelope, then while putting it back on his nightstand, Sara gets on her side of the bed before he spoke with a sigh. "I'm sorry, I guess I'm still shocked about this whole thing."

While she was sitting up next to him, she took his hand. "The tickets or your team making it this far?"

He smiled a little sheepishly as he looked over at her. "Maybe a little of both."

She nodded in understanding before squeezing his hand gently as she spoke softly. "You know I'm not the only one who cares about you and wants you to be happy."

"I know, it's just sometimes it's hard to grasp that." He finished softly as he looked down at their clasped hands. "As you know I was never popular in school, most of them thought I was this weird kid, which at the time I didn't think nothing of it. But now, especially after tonight, I look back at that time and I feel so alone."

Sara lifted his chin up, and she could see a few tears in his eyes, so she cupped his cheek and replied with tears in her eyes too. "You're not alone anymore, and as long as I'm still breathing, you'll never be alone again, I promise." He nodded with a smile and she wiped his tears away before they softly kissed.

When they pulled back, he asked after clearing his throat. "So, you really had no idea about the tickets?'

She shook her head with a smile. "None, whatsoever." She then finished before she chuckled a little. "They probably thought I might spill the beans, which they could have been right because I honestly don't think I would have lasted a full day keeping something like that from you, so they made the right call on keeping me in the dark too." He chuckled in return for a few seconds before she spoke again after she calmed down. "Now the only question is, who are you taking?"

He raised an eyebrow while responding. "Was there really a question on who I would be taking with me?"

Sara played with his fingers as she shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I mean one of the guys might appreciate it, even Stephanie. Not that I wouldn't enjoy the experience with you, but you know I'm not much of a ..."

Grissom cuts off her rambling as he cupped her cheek. "The only person I want to share these moments with is you." He stopped to clear his throat before finishing with uncertainty. "Of course if you don't really want to..."

This time she cuts him off with a smile as she placed her hand on top of his that was still on her cheek. "I would love to go with you. I just didn't want to assume it would be me."

He softly whispered, his words meaning more than one way. "It's always you, honey."

She started to smile again, but it was cut off when his lips were on hers, not that she was exactly complaining, especially when their night turned a little more intimate then she had thought would happen, not that she minded there either.

* * *

AN: Could Grissom's World Series experience be better than he had imagined? Find out next chapter. Please review.


	13. Could his evening get any better?

AN: Thanks for the reviews, here is the next chapter, one I'm sure you GSR fans have been waiting for, enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 13: Could his evening get any better?

When Sara and Grissom woke up the next morning they went about the morning as they usually did, with the exception of Grissom not leaving for the lab like Sara, so he was packing their bags for a trip he had not planned, but was very excited about. Then around lunch time, Grissom came to the lab in a cab, and Sara told Kevin, which he was not surprised, that he would be in charge the next few days before leaving with her husband so they could go to the airport and board a plane for Cleveland, Ohio since that's where the Cubs will be playing the last two, or one,  
game(s) at.

Once they finally arrived there, they rented a vehicle, got set up in a motel before doing a little sight seeing, well mainly finding their way to the stadium so they would be prepared for tomorrow, then when it was dinner time, they ate while enjoying a movie, then they watched a couple more before calling it a night, just wanting to enjoy a night in together.

The next morning they had breakfast and did a little more sight seeing before going to the stadium an hour and a half before it started, and once it did, but unlike game 5, the Cubs took a commanding lead early and never let it go, making it to where they have to play a game 7; the deciding game on who will be crowned champions in the end.

* * *

Grissom, who hadn't slept much the night before because he was so excited for today, woke up that morning to the sound of his wife getting sick in the bathroom, making him frown, and was about to get out of bed when he saw Sara walk into the room with a shy look. "I'm sorry, I know you didn't sleep well last night."

He shook that off and got out of bed before walking up to her and cupping her cheek. "Don't worry about that, I'm worried about you, maybe we should..."

Sara cuts him off and shook her head as she headed back to the bed. "Oh no, I'm not missing the game, and there is no way I'm making you miss it either. Besides, we have plenty of time before the game starts, I could be alright by then."

He paused for a second before nodding, but with a still concerned look on his face. "Ok, but if you don't feel any better or get worse, we are staying here, no arguments."

As much as he would love to watch his favorite team win the world Series, if they do of course, in person, his wife's health was more important to him, and he would do anything, even miss the biggest game of the year, for her. Which she knew that, so she was going to do everything in her power to not let that happen.

She nodded before speaking after clearing her throat. "In the meantime though, I think I'm going to get a few things a the store that might help."

He shook his head as he walked towards his suitcase to change clothes. "No, it's ok, let me do it. Just tell me what you need."

He was stopped a second later as she took his hand and gave him a smile before cupping his cheek. "You don't have to do that." He was about to speak, but she continued before he could. "Besides, I could use the fresh air."

After a short pause, he nodded with a smile. "Ok."

She smiled in return and they kissed lightly before Sara finished getting ready while Grissom sat on the bed, but he was still concerned about his wife. In fact he had been that way throughout the rest of the morning and afternoon, but when it was time for them to head to the game, and her sickness hadn't showed any signs of getting worse, he became a lot calmer, well when it came to his wife's health that is, the game did nothing to calm his nerves, it was close throughout, even going into extra innings with a tie and a 17 minute rain delay.

Then it finally happened, after years of heartbreak for the long time Cubs fans, they sealed their victory in the 10th, and their fans, including Grissom, cheered likes they never cheered before, and Sara enjoyed watching all the happy faces, especially her husband's.

After awhile, when Sara and Grissom could actually walk towards the exit, Grissom had to use the restroom, so Sara took that time to go to the gift shop, which wasn't that far, and bought a couple of items before they left the stadium and headed for a diner so they could eat before they retired to their motel room for one more night before they head home tomorrow.

While they were eating their meal, it was mostly quiet, which Sara would contribute that to still being a little shocked on what just happened, and she was ok with that. Then when they made back to their room, Sara finally asked him with a smile. "I guess I don't really have to ask this, but how are you feeling?"

He smiled brightly as he wrapped his arms around his wife's waist. "Amazing. There is nothing, outside of getting married to you." She was about to open her mouth and ask which time, but he places his finger to her lips and continued with his eyes sparkling. "Both times." She nodded with a slight chuckle as he finished after a sigh. "That's made me feel this much joy and excitement. I don't think it could get any better tonight, this is a perfect ending of our day."

Sara raised an eyebrow as she smirked. "Really? There isn't any other way you would like to end your day?"

He brought her a little closer to him and whispered. "Well, I guess there could be an alternative ending, if it's something you really want."

She wrapped her arms around his neck before sharing a few passionate kisses, and they place their foreheads together when they needed air before she whispered a few seconds later. "I believe I can make your evening even better."

He pulled his head back so he could look into her eyes as he cupped her cheek. "I have no doubt there."

Before he could bring her in for another kiss, she turns them around so his back was towards the bed and said softly. "Sit, please."

He sat at the end of the bed without a word, then he watched her walk towards the table, where two gift bags were at, and she grabbed the smaller one before walking towards him again, stopping in front of him and holding the bag out with a smile. "Here."

He raised an eyebrow, but took it without saying a word, then when he opened it up and pulled out a Chicago Cubs baby sized onesie, he didn't say a word for a different reason, he couldn't, he was truly speechless, and when he looked up to her, he was in tears, shaking his head in almost disbelief.

But she was nodding her head with tears in her eyes. "Yes, it's true, it's finally happening for us, it's finally our time."

He sets the gift to the side and reached for her, which she came willingly and he wrapped his arms around her waist before laying his cheek against her stomach and started crying, truly, deeply crying, an act Sara had only witnessed a few times since they've been together. And she just let him while she ran her fingers through his hair.

When he was calm enough to actually speak, at least a little, he pulled back and looked up at her. "When did you..."

She cuts him off as she sat down next to him with one of his arms still around her. "Find out?" He nodded before she continued after clearing her throat. "This afternoon, I took a test."

He looked confused. "But ho..."

Once again she cuts him off. "I got the test this morning when I went out, and took it while you went to get us some lunch." He nodded in understanding before she continued. "My sickness this morning didn't feel anything that I ever had before, so I was curious and wanted to see if I was right. Plus, I believe I had a few other symptoms the last few weeks, but I just thought it was stress. I guess it turns out it wasn't."

He now looked a little sad. "You didn't tell me any of this."

She squeezed his hand and spoke softly. "I know, and I feel bad that we didn't get to enjoy seeing the results together, but if it had been another negative result and it was just the flu and stress, I couldn't bear to see you disappointed. I hope you aren't too upset with me."

He shook his head and cupped her cheek with tears in his eyes again. "I'm not, I'm just glad that I get to enjoy all the rest of the other moments."

She smirked a little, but she was very serious when she replied. "Well, I couldn't have hid it, even if I wanted too." Then she finished as she took his hand and placed it on her stomach while she placed her hand on top of his. "And I would never want to, I want to share every moment with you."

He leaned over and kissed her temple before whispering as he placed his forehead against her head. "And you will. I love you and thank you for making this day, outside of our wedding, the best day of my life."

She smiled as she slipped her fingers through his. "You mean making it even better than it was before."

He pulled his had back and looked into her eyes. "While watching my team win the biggest game of their lives was a wonderful experience, and I'll admit, a dream come true, you telling me that I'm going to be a father, is a better feeling and the biggest dream come true, so when I think of this day, my first thought won't be the Cubs winning the World Series, it will always be remembered as the day the love of my life, my wife, my best friend, my everything, told me we are going to have a baby."

Sara let a few tears go down her cheek at his words, and he starts to wipe them away as she whispered. "I love you too."

He smiled in return with his eyes sparking as he leaned towards her before they shard a loving and deep kiss, and when thy pulled back, they placed their foreheads together as their hands went back to her stomach, both cherishing their first moments with their unborn baby, and neither on couldn't wait to see their little miracle grow big and strong before he or she joined them into this world.

* * *

AN: Hope you are all happy with this turn of events. Find out what happens next. Please Review.


	14. An Unexpected turn of Events

AN: Thanks for the reviews, here is the next chapter, and a turn in the story. How Big? I guess you'll have to read and find out.

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Chapter 14: An Unexpected turn of Events

8 months later

After the excitement of the baby news and the World Series win, the next big thing to happen within the group was the birth of Roxanne Elizabeth Murray, Devon and Mariah's daughter, two months ago.

Now the next thing was happening right at this moment.

Everybody was gathered, including the Vegas Team, on the estate of Whitney & Brads' parents place in Los Angeles, watching the wedding between Nick and Whitney.

They were all seated and looking at the handsome groom, who was standing at the alter waiting for his wife-to be with an emotional look on his face. He looked at the group that was considered more family than colleagues, and they all smiled back, including Catherine, who was sitting next to a man she had been dating the last few months, and it's been the best relationship she's ever had. Like Nick, she knew there will always be a small 'what if' between him and her, but she couldn't live like that for the rest of her life, so she was finally and fully ready to move on, and when her new manager from her casino/hotel asked her out, she didn't hesitate, which in the end she's glad she didn't.

They share a head nod, and right as Nick was looking at the beginning of the aisle, Whitney's youngest cousin, who was the flower girl, came down the aisle wearing a beautiful dress and tossing flower petals as she walked while everybody 'awed', and they awed even louder when she gave Nick a hug before she went to her smiling, happy and proud parents. Then the classic wedding march started playing and everybody who was sitting down in the chairs stood up before looking at the beautiful bride, and after a pause, with her brother behind the wheelchair and her dad having a hold of her arm, the three of them headed down the aisle as the bride and groom locked eyes with one another and never looked away.

Once they made it to the front, her father leaned down and kissed her cheek before holding her hand out to Nick's, and after he took it, the men shared a hand shake with their other hands and nodded to one another before her father went and sat down next to her mother while Brad just released the wheelchair handles, and after sharing a friendly head nod and smile with Nick, he stepped to the side, but stood close by, which made people slightly curious for a bit.

There was a slight pause before the ceremony officially started, then when it was time to do the vows, Whitney removed her hands from Nick's before looking over her shoulder toward her brother and nodded, which he nodded back and walked up to her as Whitney looked at her groom with a smile. "I have a little surprise for you, I hope you like it."

He looked confused but didn't say anything before him, along with everybody else, witnessed a miracle, Brad helped her up from her chair so she was now standing, her legs were shaking a little and Brad still had to hold her waist, but considering she couldn't even get this far 10 months ago, it was truly a miracle, and Nick had tears in his eyes as he took one of her hands and cupped her cheek with his other.

She also had tears in her eyes as she spoke. "I can only stand for a little bit right now and just take a few steps, but..."

Nick cuts her off with a sniffle. "It's progress, and amazing, you are amazing. I love you so much."

"I love you too."

They were about to kiss when the priest cleared his throat to stop them, making everybody laugh as Nick looked over at him and nodded with a shy smile. "Right, continue."

The priest looked at Whitney, and she nodded before looking at her groom again, and after clearing her throat, she started her emotional vows before he did his after she sat back down in her chair, then the ceremony ended with the ring exchange and the first kiss as husband and wife before the reception took place at the other end of the huge yard.

* * *

Once the speeches were made, and some good natured jokes, the bride and groom had their first dance as husband and wife before she danced with her father while her husband danced with his mother, and when it was time for all the guests to dance, Grissom, who was dressed up in a suit and tie, stood up from his seat and held out his hand to his wife with a smile. "Care to dance, Mrs. Grissom?"

Sara smiled with her hands on her 8 month pregnant stomach. "You sure you want to dance with this balloon?"

Everybody who was sitting at their table, and close by it, since not everyone could fit at the same table, chuckled, and even though Grissom was completely shy saying his next words in front of them, he did it anyways. "Then you're the must beautiful balloon that I had ever seen."

Their group changed their tone to 'aww' as Sara smiled shyly while she placed her hand in his before he helped her up, and once she was, she was lead to the makeshift dance floor before they got as close to one another as they could with her pregnant stomach in the way, then she whispered. "I know that couldn't have been easy for you."

He shook his head with a smile. "Saying the words wasn't hard, it was doing it in front of the group." He shyly finished. "I guess I'm still not use to saying stuff like that in front of everybody."

Sara couldn't help but smirk as she ran her hand up and down his back. "Hey you're making progress, before you couldn't even say the words."

Then he came back with his eyes twinkling. "How can I, when you make me speechless time after time."

With the mixture of his sweet words and the sensitive hormones running through her, she sniffled a little as she whispered. "Alright you, you remember what happens when you say your sweet words?"

He nodded with his blue eyes twinkling again before removing his hand from her waist and placing it on her stomach, feeling his unborn child lightly kicking on the palm of his hand, while whispering. "I get this little miracle, and see that beautiful smile on your face."

She sniffled again before letting a few tears go down her cheek, and he was right there wiping them away as they placed their foreheads together then she whispered. "I love you."

"I love you too."

After a moment of basking in this moment, they pulled back, and she cleared her throat before speaking. "And speaking of a beautiful smile, you know who else is wearing a brighter one than usual, and don't say the bride."

Konwing who she was talking about, he nodded before smiling in return. "It seems Mrs. Sanders does look a bit more radiant, doesn't she?"

Sara chuckled with a nod before replying. "Once a CSI, always a CSI." He chuckled in return with a nod, and after they calmed down, Sara continued. "I'm sure they'll tell us when the time is right." He nodded in agreement before they enjoyed the rest of their dance in silence.

* * *

About 45 minutes later

After the bride and groom had left, which most of his family and the visiting extended Jones family had already left too, the rest of the guests were doing last dances, and while Sara was enjoying the last dance with Greg, Grissom and Catherine was talking next to the drink table.

Grissom smiled as he said. "You seem to have gotten yourself a good man this time."

They hear a group laughing at one of the tables, which had her man there too, and she smiled as she looked over at him, who was with the guys, Brass, Tim, Devon and Kevin, then looked at Grissom again with a nod. "I believe so too." Then she does a little sigh before continuing. "You don't think he's too young, do you?"

Grissom chuckled as he took a sip of champagne. "If your ten year age gap is wrong, then where does that leave Sara and I?"

She chuckled with a nod. "Good point."

"If you guys care for one another, and both are on the same page of what you want in your relationship, then don't worry about the age difference. Couples have enough problems to deal with than to worry about how much older the other person is."

Catherine smiled as she lifted up her champagne to her lips. "I can officially call you a changed man, Gilbert Grissom, and I love seeing this new side of you."

"You know what?" They both look at the dance floor, which the last song had just ended so Greg and Sara was heading back to the table, as Grissom spoke with his eyes locked on his wife. "Me too."

After taking another sip of her champagne, she asked while she as also looking at Sara. "So, do you guys know what you are having? And have you picked out any names?"

Grissom looked at Catherine and started to speak. "As a matter of fact we..."

But he gets cut off when they hear Sara's voice as she grabbed her glass of water. "Vegas Team & San Diego team, can I have your attention, please." She then smirked as Grissom and Catherine walked closer to her. "I would like to make one more toast before they kick us out of here." They all chuckled softly, and after feeling her husband's hand on the small of her back, she continued after clearing her throat. "To Tim, because after today when everybody leaves here, he'll be starting a new adventure in Vegas, where he'll be teaming up with some of the best and most talented CSI's that I have ever had the privilege of working with."

Tim nodded as he lifted up his glass towards his boss, or should he say ex-boss now. "Thank you boss for teaching me everything you know."

It had been very hard telling Sara that he needed to leave, and to Sara it wasn't easy hearing it, but she understood perfectly well that he had to follow his heart and it was with Lindsey, so once everything became somewhat normal at the lab after Nick started to come back to work regularly again, they brought someone new in so he could be trained before Tim left, and after a few people not lasting long, they finally found the perfect man, but Tim also needed to finish up his open cases the best he could before he could officially go, and now that everything was set just right, he'll be boarding the plane with the Vegas team in just a few hours.

Sara nodded with tears in her eyes, still a little sad that she was losing one of her first employees as a supervisor, as she finished. "To Tim."

After everybody had toasted to him, they lifted up their glasses to take a drink, but Sara had stopped midway and winced a little, making Kevin ask in a concerned tone. "Boss, you ok?"

Hearing that and feeling a little discomfort from his wife, Grissom moved to the side of her and looked at her with concern, but Sara waved it off with a smile. "It's ok, I'm fi..."

She didn't finish because a sharper pain came through her body, making her just about double over, which in turn made Grissom take a hold of his wife with both hands, not caring he just dropped the glass on the grass, while the rest of the guys stood up from their chairs, ready to help her if they needed to as Grissom was walking her to the chair, but they stopped dead in their tracks when water rushed down her legs and she looked over her shoulder at husband with tears in her eyes. "It's still early, this shouldn't be hap..."

This time she was cut off when she screamed, making Kevin shout towards Brad. "Brad, come here!"

Brad, who had been talking to out of towner family members, started to rush towards them the minute he heard Sara scream, and spoke with worry as he got to the group, which Sara was now sitting in the chair, breathing hard while Grissom was trying to comfort her. "What's gong on?"

Kevin spoke before anybody else could. "Sara's water just broke and she's in pain."

Sara looked into Brad's eyes, pleading with him to help, then he nodded before turning his head and shouting for his mom, a fellow doctor who had more emergency pregnant cases than he had. "Mom, we need you over here."

The 65 year old woman, who looked so much like her daughter, rushed over towards them and asked in a concerned voice. "What's gong on?"

After Brad told his mother what happened, the older woman asked. "Can you walk? We need to get you to the hospital ASAP."

Sara nodded as she continued her breathing, but after Grissom, who was feeling completely helpless and scared, helped her back up, she only took a few steps before she cried out in pain again, so Grissom was about to pick her up, when she stopped him. "Your back, babe."

Before he could say anything, Brad had walked to the other side of her and looked at him, and even though Grissom wanted to be the one to carry her, he knew where his limits were and he wasn't going to let his ego get the better of him. This was about the health and safety of his wife and unborn child, and that's what mattered the most, so he nodded and stepped back before Brad picked her up and carried her towards his vehicle so they could head to the hospital quickly.

* * *

Once they made it, there was a nurse right in front of the hospital with a wheelchair in front of her, and after they got Sara in the chair, Grissom and her were holding hands until thy came to an area where only the nurses and doctors could go, so after they shared a kiss and whispered I love you to one another, he stepped back and watched his wife being wheeled away until the door closed in front of him.

When he turned around, both the San Diego and Vegas group were right there, giving him the best brave looks they could give while they were also worried about a valuable member of the team/family.

* * *

Grissom didn't know how long he waited, all he knew was that he couldn't sit still for the duration of it, so he was doing a lot of pacing back and forth until he, and along with everybody else, despite him telling them he'll let them know what's going on, heard the doctor say. "The family of Mrs. Grissom?"

Grissom walked in front of everybody and nodded. "Yes, I'm her husband."

The doctor took a moment to look at all the people who were there, then cleared her throat and looked into Grissom's scared blue eyes before telling him in doctor's terms on what was going on, then once she was done, Grissom asked after clearing his throat. "Which means?"

"It means, ready or not, your child is coming into the world today, and there can't be much delay, or further complications could harm your wife and/or unborn child."

Everybody looked more worried than they already had been, including Grissom as he spoke softly. "It's still early."

"True." Then she gave him a reassuring smile. "But, I like its chances." Even though the group was still worried, they did like hearing what the doctor had said, then before Grissom could ask, she spoke again. "Your wife wants to see you. I'll allow it, but only for a minute, we need to start on the delivery as soon as possible."

Grissom nodded, and after looking back at the group, which they just gave him a nod and small smile, he turned around and followed the doctor towards his wife's room; his heart racing like it had never raced before in his life as he took each step closer to his wife and unborn child, his whole world, his everything.

The minute the door opened and their eyes met, Sara lifted her arms up towards him as she was sniffling, and he wasted no time getting to her as the doctor nodded her head at the nurse to give them some privacy.

As they held each other almost desperately, she started to cry while speaking. "This can't be happening...I can't...I can't Los..."

She trailed off as he pulled back with tears in his eyes and shook his head. "And we won't." She was going to speak, but he cuts her off. "It took us so long to get to this moment, and I know for a fact you're not about to give up now, and I know our little miracle will fight just like his mom, so think positive."

Sara nodded with a sniffle or two, then she spoke again. "But Grissom, if something does happen where you have to..."

He shook his head and cuts her off again. "Sara..."

This time she cuts him off. "Listen, if you have to make a choice, pick the baby."

His voice breaking as he tried to answer. "No, you can't ask..."

She places a finger to his lips and spoke, while both of them were having tears going down their cheeks. "Promise me, Griss, the baby first." After a second of him not speaking, she said it a little more forceful, even though she knew when he answered it would be difficult for him to go through with her wishes. "Promise me."

Finally he nodded as he whispered while more tears were going down his cheeks. "I promise." She wiped them away and brought his face towards her, and after a soft but powerful kiss,  
they placed their foreheads together and he whispered on more thing. "I love you so much, don't ever doubt that."

She whispered back. "Deep down I never did, even when we were going through our lowest points as a couple, and I love you t..."

Another sharp pain hit her, making her words become cut off and the machines beeping like crazy, and before he knew it he was being pushed to the side by the nurse, and his wife and unborn child was being wheeled out of the room while a feeling of uncertainty and helplessness washed over him, he just hoped above everything that his worst fears wasn't going to make a showing tonight.

* * *

When 15 minutes came and went and Grissom hadn't made it back to the waiting area, Kevin asked after clearing his throat. "Should one of us go looking for Grissom now, it's been 15 minutes?"

Catharine, who had been sitting next to her boyfriend, stood up. "I might know where he is, I'll let you know."

She shared a look with her dark-haired, brown-eyed, handsome boyfriend, and after a kiss on each other's cheek, she headed for the nurses station, and when she got there, she asked. "Excuse me, but where is your chapel?"

The mid-twenties woman smiled at the older woman before telling her where it was, and after Catharine thanked her, she walked away and headed in the direction she was told.

Once she got to her destination, she stopped in the doorway and saw a few people in there, and when she noticed the one she was looking for, she walked past the first five pews before turning to the left and sitting down next to him without saying a word.

Grissom couldn't help but smile a little, out of everybody he somehow knew it would be her to find him, then after a moment or two of silence, he cleared his throat and whispered. "It's a boy." They have eye contact a second later and he finished. "At first we didn't want to know, but eventually we realized we've been surprised enough in our lifetime, so we broke down and found out, but we wanted to wait to tell everybody. And we also both agreed that there was only one name that would be perfect for him."

He was giving her a look that told her she should know, then she smiled with tears in her eyes as she whispered. "Warrick." After he nodded, she continued after clearing her throat. "Then with a name like that, you know you're going to have your hands full, both of you will." Grissom just nodded one more time with tears in his eyes before he looked forward without saying another word as she placed her hand on top of his.

Not even five minutes later, they both felt a presence behind them, so they looked back, and not only saw the big group, but Stephanie was right in front leading them towards them, and after Stephanie sat down next to her cousin, while the rest of the group took the spots behind them, the cousins softly smiled at one another before she placed her hand on top of his other one, all silently giving him their strength and vowing to be there for him during this uncertain time.

* * *

AN: Oh-no. Find out next chapter if Grissom's world was ripped apart. Please Review.


	15. Happy Family?

AN: Thanks for the reviews, here is the next chapter, find out what happened next.

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Chapter 15: Happy Family?

Four Weeks later

Grissom's heart was racing, but in a good/excited kind of way, because for the first time since his little one had been born, he'll get to hold him, so while a part of him couldn't wait, the other part was still terrified that he would do it wrong. Of course he had a little practice holding babies when it came to Roxanne and Alexandra, but still, he fully didn't believe he was ready for this step.

Becca, who happened to be the head nurse and Brad's newly fiancé, smiled at the older man and spoke. "It's ok Dr. Grissom, I've seen you in action a few times, you are a natural."

Grissom shyly smiled before holding out his arms in the correct way, then a few seconds later,  
a moment the large part of him has been waiting for happened, he was now holding his son, and when he looked down at him, seeing the little things that made him think of his wife, only made his heart burst with more love for this little guy even more.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a loud sniffle, so he turned his head to the side and looked down at the person who was sitting in a chair next to him, and asked with concern. "You ok, honey?"

Sara nodded her head as she used a tissue for her nose before she spoke with so much emotion. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ruin your moment with our son, I've just been waiting for this for as long as you have, and I couldn't stop..."

Grissom cuts her off with a smile as he asked. "You ready to hold your son?"

She sniffled again and asked. "You sure you don't want more time?"

He shook his head and held out his son towards her. "Nah, I'll have plenty of more times, it's time for him to see his mommy up close."

She nodded with a smile and held out her arms, and after little Warrick was secure, she looked down at him with more tears in her eyes as she whispered. "No offense to any of our group's babies, and I know I am a little biased, but this is the most beautiful baby I have ever seen."

Grissom kneeled down, his bones popping a little, but at this moment he didn't notice, and placed his hand on top of his son's head while whispering in return, not able to take his eyes off him either. "I would have to agree."

After little Warrick was born, he had a tough road ahead of him, and there was some moments when it looked bleak, but with this child being half Grissom and half Sidle, everybody knew how much that child would fight, and fight he did, so after one more week, mostly just as a precaution, he'll finally be discharged and will get to see the world outside of this building.

Grissom's eyes moved from his son to his wife, the love of his life, and the mother of his child.  
He thought of the moment he almost lost her too, but much like he's known about her, she was a fighter, and she fought for her life, her husband and child. They learned a few days after her life was out of danger that little Warrick was going to be their only biological child, which considering their ages and where they were in their lives, they had already silently agreed that this was their only biological shot, but it still stung a little that the choice was taken out of their hands, but in the end they were just blessed for what they had.

Sara felt her husband's eyes on her, so she reluctantly looked up from her son and smiled at her husband. "You ok?"

He nodded with a smile as a few tears came to his eyes. "I am now."

Knowing what he meant, she nodded with a relief sigh. "Me too." Then she looked down at her son again as she spoke. "So, in a week it will officially be the three of us, you ready for this?"

Grissom moved his eyes from his wife towards his son before leaning forward and lightly kissing the top of his head as he whispered. "After the four weeks we've had, more than ready."

Sara just smiled with another nod in agreement, she was more than ready too.

* * *

One Week later

The day that everybody had been waiting for came without any issues, so their little guy was free to leave the hospital with them, and once they did, they headed towards Stephanie and Jacob's house, where they had been staying since Sara was discharged from the hospital since they didn't want to be over at last 2 hours away from their son.

When they arrived there, and while the kids were with their grandparents on their father's side, Stephanie and Jacob greeted the youngest Grissom with tears of relief and joy, well mostly Stephanie had them, and while Jacob did try to hide them, they could tell he was affected by this greeting too.

Throughout much of the day little Warrick was getting all the attention, and they could tell he enjoyed it very much, of course he loved it most when he was near or in his parent's arms.  
When it was time to go to sleep, they didn't seem to have much trouble getting their little one down, but just like they were warned, the baby started to fuss in the middle of the night for his first late night feeding and changing.

Grissom, who woke up first, looked at the other side of the pull out bed that they were laying on, and smiled slightly, seeing his wife still sound asleep, so he pulls the covers off of him, slips gently out of bed before walking towards the crib that use to be Stephen and D.J.'s, and he smiled brightly as he gently picked up his little boy. "Now we don't want to be waking up mommy, do we? ...it's ok, daddy's got you now."

Than once he grabbed the baby blanket and diaper bag, Grissom walked out of the room and headed for the bathroom so he could change his son, and after stopping in the kitchen to get a bottle, he made sure his son was snuggled in his blanket and walked out on the deck before sitting down in one of the chairs and started feeding him with a mixture of so many emotions inside of him.

His moments alone with his son was interrupted a few minutes later by Stephanie. "Hey, I hope I'm not interrupting."

Grissom looked up and smiled at his cousin while shaking his head. "Nah, it's ok, come on out." She nodded as she walked outside, and after shutting the sliding door, Grissom continued to speak. "I'm surprised to see you up."

She sighed as she sat down on the right side of him. "I had a wired dream, so I wanted to check on my babies."

He nodded in understanding. "Just as long as it wasn't us waking you up."

She waved off his concern. "It wasn't, so you don't have to worry."

After he nodded again, he turned his attention back to his son, while Stephanie watched with a smile, so while he was burping him, Grissom raised an eyebrow at her when he noticed it. "What?"

She shook her had as she replied. "Nothing, it's just you're a natural." She paused for a second before clearing her throat and finishing with a small lump in her throat. "If only your mom could see you like this, she would be so proud of you."

Grissom got a lump in his throat too as he spook softly. "I know Sara and I said that we were glad this didn't happen for us before, but the one thing I'm sad about that it didn't, was that my mom never got to meet her grandchild, she would have fell for him at first sight."

Stephanie chuckle slightly as she nodded. "And spoiled him rotten."

Grissom chuckle with a nod as he lowered his child down from his shoulder so he could just look at the miracle he created with the love of his life. "No doubt there."

Before Stephanie could speak again, another voice was hard at the door. "No doubt there about what?"

Grissom looked up from his son to look at his wife, and smiled. "My mom spoiling our little guy rotten."

Sara chuckle with a nod in agreement as she walked outside and shut the door, then as she was walking towards her guys, she spoke again. "I woke up and you two weren't in there."

Grissom frowned slightly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you, I just thought you needed your sleep."

She waved off his concern before kissing him lightly on the cheek. "Everything is ok now." Then she smiled down at her son as Grissom hand him to her. "Everything is just prefect now, isn't, little one?" She kissed his forehead before sitting in the chair next to her husband, while him and Stephanie were watching the scene, and after a few minutes of talking to her son, she looked up and saw them still staring at her, so she smiled in return. "What?"

Stephanie took that question before her cousin could. "For someone who claimed at one time they were uncomfortable around kids, you seemed to get over that quickly."

Sara smirked as she looked down at her pride and joy. "How can I not? Just look at him, he's easy to fall in love with."

Stephanie then smirked. "And it helps when you see a lot of your husband in your child."

Sara nodded with her smile getting a little wider. "Very much."

Grissom looked at his son before asking. "You really think so?"

Sara nodded again. "Oh yeah, I can tell, this little guy will have a lot of the Grissom genes."

Grissom smiled, proud of that, then he sighed a second later. "Let's just hope there is one part of the Grissom genes that pass him by."

Knowing what he was a talking about, Sara looked at her husband with nothing but love in her eyes. "And if it does end up happening, he'll still be loved, nothing will change that."

Grissom nodded in agreement before replying. "I know, but I just know how hard it can be, especially for a child."

Stephanie spoke again, not wanting to get in the middle of their discussion, but since she is going through it with her oldest child, she felt she had to say something.

"And while that's true, look at D.J., he's doing just fine, yeah, not everyday is perfect, he still gets picked on every once in awhile. But on those days, I just continue to let him know that no matter what, he's not that different than anybody else, that he's prefect just the way he is."

As Grissom saw Stephanie wipe a few tears off her cheek, he frowned a little. "Steph, I didn't..."

But Stephanie gives him a reassuring smile. "I know, and I understand, believe me."

Happy he didn't offend his cousin, he nodded with a smile before Sara spoke. "And look your mother, Griss. She was stronger because she had to go through that everyday of her life, so if he ends up taking after his grandmother, I can't be upset about that."

Grissom shook his had and placed his hand on his little guy's stomach and spoke with the smile still on his face. "Me neither."

Eventually they called it a night again, and after their little one was tucked in, Sara and Grissom crawled back into bed before falling asleep in each other's arms, ready to officially start the next chapter of their lives tomorrow.

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AN: Did I have you going there for a minute? Well I couldn't do that to them, they deserve a happy family, just keeping you all on your toes :) Anyways, there are two chapters left, so be ready for that. I hope you all had a good weekend. Please Review.


	16. Going Home

AN: Thank you for the reviews, here is the next chapter, enjoy!

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Chapter 16: Going Home

Once everybody had woken up the next morning they had breakfast, and after the dishes were done, they had about a half an hour of leisure time, where the youngest members of the family was getting most of the attention, then the guys, including the boys, took Sara and Grissom's suitcases and other items, which included some baby stuff that Stephanie had given them, out to the vehicle.

When they had walked back into the house, Sara and Grissom share a look, then Sara nodded as she stood up from the couch, and after handing Alexandra off to Jacob, she shared a one arm hug with Stephanie since she had her son, and when they pulled back they emotionally said bye before Sara took her son from the other woman and said bye to the guys before walking out of the house so she could strap her son in his car seat.

Grissom shook hands with Jacob and the boys and kissed Alexandra's cheek, making her smile and giggle, before he walked and stopped in front of Stephanie and cleared his throat before speaking with so much emotion. "What your family has done for mine the last four weeks, there are no words to express how much it meant to me..."

He stopped to clear his throat again, and Stephanie took that opportunity to speak while bringing him in her arms for a hug. "You don't need to thank me cuz, we were glad to have you here, and we would do it again in a heartbeat. You are always welcome here. Besides this is what families should do, be there for one another, especially during a difficult time."

They pull back and he nodded, then he cupped her cheek and smiled. "I love you, and I hope to see you again soon."

Stephanie smiled in return as she replied. "I love you too." Then she smirked. "And try and keep me away."

He nodded with one more smile, and after one more goodbye, Grissom walked out of the house and headed for the vehicle, where Sara was waiting in the passenger seat. He gets to the driver's side, turns around and waves at his cousins before getting in the vehicle and shutting the door. He then turns the vehicle on, looks over at his wife and asked with emotion. "You ready to go home?"

As much as they were thankful for Stephanie and her family for allowing them to stay in their home for as long as they did, they were ready to start this new chapter of their lives the way they had intended it to be, in their own home, so Sara placed her hand on top of his and nodded with tears in her eyes. "Yes please."

Knowing exactly how she was feeling, Grissom nodded, and they moved their heads toward one another and kissed softly, then he kissed her forehead before getting comfortable in the seat so he could finally start driving his family home.

* * *

Hours later

When they made it to their apartment in San Diego, he parked the vehicle before they got out, and after getting their son, the diaper bag, and one of each of their suitcases, they headed towards the apartment complex, once they were on the correct floor, they walked towards the door and stopped so Grissom could unlock it, and if they thought it was going to be the three of them for the rest of the day, they were completely wrong/shocked when they walked inside the apartment and the team shouted surprise, then they looked on the TV and through video chatting, the Vegas team was there as well, including Tim.

Sara and Grissom both chuckle with tears in their eyes, then Nick walks up to them and spoke with a smile. "I hope you don't mind we are here right now, it's just I...uh." He stopped for a second before finishing with tears in his eyes as he looked down at the little guy in Sara's arms. "We couldn't spend another day without seeing this little man."

Sara shook her head and replied softly. "It's ok." There was a slight pause before she asked after clearing her throat. "You want to hold him?"

Nick nodded and spoke with emotion again. "Yeah, I would like that very much."

When he was ready, Sara transferred her son into her best friend's arms, and after a few seconds of starting to be fussy, everybody watched in awe as Nick soothed him. Then after the long hold, everybody got their shot as Sara and Grissom felt blessed for the family they had gained through the years.

* * *

Once everybody left their apartment a few hours later, and the video chat was done, it was the three of them for the rest of the evening, and while at first it felt different and strange since this was the first time since their child was born that it was just the three of them without any friends/family members around, it also felt nice, especially for little Warrick because he got all the love and attention from his parents, and he didn't want it to end, so that's why it took him a little longer to fall asleep that night.

While Sara was in the shower, Grissom tried getting him to sleep, but was unsuccessful, so when she was done, they had switched places, and after he walked out of the bathroom with wet hair and a World Series Chicago Cubs t-shirt, and a pair of sweat pants, he whispered as he walked over to where she was standing in front of the crib, which was a couple of steps away from her side of the bed. "Is he finally down?" She just nodded with a smile, still not able to keep her eyes off of him, then she sighed in content when she felt her husband's arms wrap around her waist from behind, so he could look over her shoulder and look at his little man.

It was a few minutes of silence before he whispered again. "Catherine is right, we are going to have our hands full with this one."

Sara smiled again before replying softly. "And we wouldn't have it any other way."

"No, we wouldn't."

They couldn't say with certainty that their dream was to have kids from the start, but when their dreams changed and they wanted one, it felt it took them forever to get to this moment, and a few times they were afraid that it wouldn't have come, so no matter what they have to go through to watch their little boy become the man they know he'll be, they'll do it.

Grissom kissed her temple a second later and whispered. "Ready for bed?"

Once she nodded, he stepped back to give her room, so she leaned down and kissed Warrick's head gently and whispered. "Mommy loves you so much, sweet dreams."

She steps back a few seconds later, and Grissom also leans down, kisses his head softly and whispered. "Daddy loves you too, sweet dreams little man."

After he steps back, and while Sara was getting in bed, he walked towards the light switch and switched it off, making a nightlight turn on so they could see what they are doing when their son wakes them up, then when he gets into the bed, him and Sara meet in the middle and they wrap their arms around one another, happy to be in their own bed again.

He then kissed her forehead before whispering. "So, I've been thinking, you know there will come a time when Warrick is going to need his own room, so what do you think about getting a bigger place, a house, maybe?"

Sara pulled back enough so she could have eye contact with him, and she smiled. "Really?"

"Yeah, but only if you..."

Sara cuts him off. "Well, you are right, he is gong to eventually need his own room, and it would be nice for him to have a yard to play in, instead of a small balcony or hall, so I'm in."

They both smiled brightly as he replied. "OK, we can start looking tomorrow then."

"Sounds good."

After a second or two, Grissom cupped her cheek and she could tell he was holding on to his emotions, so she placed her hand on top of his and asked. "What's wrong, are you ok?"

He nodded, sniffling a little. "More than ok. I just want to say thank you for everything, I'm here with you like this because of you, I'm a father, something I never thought I would be, because of you. I wish there are better words I can..."

She cuts him off as she places a finger to his lips. "Your words are perfect already, and that thank you should go to you too, we are here now because we never truly gave up one another, and we finally got it right." She sniffled this time as he wiped a few tears off her cheek. "Now I just can't wait to see where this chapter takes us, I have a feeling it isn't going to get any easier, but after all that we've been through, I have no doubts we'll get through it, together."

He nodded in agreement as he whispered. "I love you, honey."

She moved her head closer to him and whispered in return. "I love you too, babe." Before they shared a kiss full of love.

When they pulled back slowly moments later, they place their foreheads together and he whispered one more thing. "We should get some rest."

"Yeah we should, I'll take the first wake up call from our son."

He looked at her with concern. "You sure, I..."

She cuts him off with a smile. "I'm sure, you did it last night. Remember this is a 50/50 partnership, we both do our share."

He nodded with a smile this time. "Ok, I just want to make sure you're getting enough sleep."

If it was even possible, more love for this man flowed through her as she cupped his cheek this time. "I'm fine, I promise."

That word has been in Sara's vocabulary for about as long as he had known her, and it usually meant the opposite, but he could see the truth in her eyes, so he dropped it and just nodded, then after one more soft kiss, he moved so he was laying down and Sara moved so she could lay her head on his chest and placed a hand over his heart before he placed one of his arms around her shoulders and placed his other hand on top of hers, and once they were fully comfortable, it didn't take them long to fall asleep, dreaming about the future that never looked so bright.

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AN: Hope you enjoyed it. Now next chapter is the last and it will have a significant time jump, with maybe a surprise or two, so be ready for that, I also hope you all have a good weekend. Please Review.


	17. 20 years later

AN: Thanks for the Reviews, here is the last chapter, enjoy!

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Chapter 17: 20 years later

Sara picked up a picture that had captured one of the best images of her life from the last 20 years, and smiled as she was looking at her second wedding day, particularly her husband, looking as handsome as ever, and now, even in his golden years, he still has a way of making her heart melt like no other.

Sara's thoughts get interrupted when she hears that all to familiar voice, her right hand man when it came to work the last 21 years. "Is this the last box?"

She looked up from the picture and nodded before placing it in the box that was on the desk. "Yeah."

Kevin, now 53 and his hair had a little more gray in it than when they first met, smiled as he picked up the box. "I'll take it for you."

Sara smirked as she grabbed her jacket from the chair. "You know you are not my right hand man anymore."

After 21 years as a supervisor for the San Diego team, and as a CSI working up the ranks for around 17 years on top of that, in San Francisco and Vegas, which majority of that time was in Vegas, Sara Grissom had finally decided to call it a career. She knew no matter how long she worked, crime will always be around, and she felt she had done her part the best that she could do, now it was someone else's turn.

Kevin chuckled before speaking. "I guess old habits die hard." Sara smiled, then he sighed as they started walking towards the door. "You know you'll be missed, it won't be the same around here."

She then smirked again. "I know, you'll finally be the supervisor." He chuckled with a nod before she asked as they stepped out in the hall. "Why did you stay? You had plenty of offers through the years."

As the years went by, Sara was very sure that she was going to lose him to another shift, or she wouldn't have been shocked if had ended up being another lab, he was just too good to not have his own team at some point, but every year that want by he didn't budge one bit, he was with her through thick and thin, and even went through a couple of changes within the team together.

Kevin took a second before he replied truthfully. "That's easy, I liked working with you, I understood the fire that you had on wanting to seek justice. I liked that you cared for your team, and you always had time to listen to us and our theories, instead of just thinking yours was right all the time. And honestly, the biggest thing was that our working chemistry was just too good to mess up. Plus, I felt comfortable, safe even, I knew every time I walked into this lab every morning that you would have my back no matter what, so why leave all of that?"

Feeling a little emotional, she cleared her throat before speaking with a smile, but she was very serious. "I think that's the sweetest thing you ever said to me."

He smiled in return. "Well everything I said is the truth."

She stepped up to him and gave him a hug before whispering. "Thank you, and you are right, our working chemistry was one of the best." As they pulled back, she smirked one more time "I mean there is a reason our lab reached the top 5 in solve rates, right?"

"Of course we are the best." They chuckled one more time, and as they started walking again, he finished. "And I'll continue what we started."

"You better, or I might have to come back and show you how it's done."

They stop at the break room door, and he nodded with one more smile. "Yes, boss."

She smiled in return as he opened the door, and the second she stepped into the room, ex-team members/family members all shouted surprise.

Sara chuckled as she walked fully into the room. "It is really a surprise when I already knew this was happening?"

They all chuckled in return, and after the love of her life handed her a red cup, speeches were said throughout the room, thanking her, complementing her, and congratulating her, and although, like her husband, she didn't particularly like the spotlight, she enjoyed every good thing they had said about her.

When the speeches were done, she took a hold of Grissom's hand and walked them towards a corner in the room, making him ask with a little concern in his eyes. "You ok?"

She nodded with a smile and whispered. "Yeah, but can you just hold me for a minute or two?"

He smiled, his blue eyes still sparkling when looking at her after all this time, before wrapping his arms around her and whispering in her hair. "I'll hold you for as long as you want me to."

She smiled, and as she laid her head against his shoulder, she looked at a particularly group of people who were standing in a circle and laughing.

Like she thought with Kevin about him eventually leaving, but unlike Kevin's choice of staying, she wasn't so lucky with the rest of them, not that she didn't understood their choices, she just missed them, and not only as a valued CSI member, but their presence on a day to day basis as well.

The main group stuck around for a few years after Tim had left, but eventually Devon gained enough skill to lead his own team, so with a heavy heart, he ended up taking the night shift supervisor spot, and him and Mariah had gotten married two years later, their five year old daughter at the time was their flower girl, and two years after that, Mariah was pregnant again and she decided she wanted to be a stay at home mom. Now they've been married 15 years and have three children, their youngest is 12 years old.

Tim and Lindsey tied the knot a year after he had moved to Vegas, and they have two sons, both under 10.

Brad and Becca are also happily married and they have two daughters and a son.

And once Nicole married Kevin after 2 years of dating, she took a spot on the swing shift, eventually becoming a supervisor. Now they've been married 18 years and had twin daughters, and another son, while Carson and Kevin have one of the best father/son relationships Sara has ever seen, just like Kevin had predicted.

Sara moved her eyes over to the next set of people, the people she's known the longest, Nick is still the director of the lab and still happily married to Whitney, who had started walking about 2 years after they married, and the best thing was that they were blessed with a biological daughter, while adopting a son three years later.

Greg and Morgan were both still working at the Vegas lab, still happily married after 20 years, and they were blessed with twin sons.

And while Catharine never had any more children, she's been happily marred for the last 10 years, and enjoys being the grandma that spoils her grandchildren.

Unfortunately they had lost Jim a few years back, but she was proud she got know him.

Before her thoughts could turn darker, they hear the group say. "Hey you made it."

Her and Grissom looked towards the door and saw his cousin smiling while holding her husband's hand as they walked into the room. "Like we would have missed it."

They all chuckled as Stephanie and Jacob, who had just celebrated 40 years together, headed towards Sara and Grissom, and as they got closer, Sara stepped back from her husband so she could give a hug to Stephanie, which she wasn't only her cousin by marriage but she was the best female friend she ever had. Not that she didn't enjoy or treasure the friendships she had gained with her female colleagues, but Stephanie just understood her more than any other woman has. Plus, they had a lot in common and liked each others company without it getting awkward at any point.

After the women pulled back from their hugs, Grissom and Stephanie smiled at one another before hugging, while Sara and Jacob shared a hug, then when the cousins pulled back, Grissom asked. "So, the kids are still coming tonight?"

He says kids, but like everybody, they've gotten older too, D.J. is now 28, and like his father, took up counseling, he also teaches the deaf and is dating a fellow counselor. Stephen is 26, who is now a journalist that travels a lot, and Alexandra is 21 and will be in her Senior year at UCLA when school starts again.

Stephanie smiled with a nod. "Yeah, at least that's the plan, thank you for inviting us."

Grissom waved it off. "No problem."

Like they did for most summers these days, the Grissom family rents a beach house for a few weeks, sometimes a month.

After they nodded, the four of them walked to the group and they start talking and laughing about old times, then after a bit, people started leaving, and when it was just Sara and Grissom in the room, Grissom looked at Sara for a second. "You ready?"

She gave him a small smile before asking. "Can I have a few minutes?"

He nodded with a smile in return and kissed her temple before walking towards the door to the room and walked out, Sara watched him before looking around the room, then stopped her eyes at the conference table, imagining her first time talking to her new team.

 _Flashback_

 _21 years ago_

 _Sara walked towards the door to the break room for her first day at the San Diego lab, but before she walked inside, she stopped and took a breath first, and when she did step in the room, the team had stopped talking the second they saw her, so she smirked a little. "Well, that can't be a good sign, you stopped talking the minute I walked in." Mariah smirked a little, but it became silent not long after that, so Sara cleared her throat before speaking again. "Before I begin handing out your assignment sheets, I just wanted to say a few words. I know that you all expected to see Mr. Woods as your supervisor, but instead you get an outsider, and I get it,_  
 _believe me. But I just wanted to point out that we are on the same team, wanting to do the same thing, and my title may have boss in it, but that doesn't mean I won't do my share, you can bet on it. In fact, I can almost guarantee that I'll be the first to come in the morning and the last one to leave in the afternoon or evening, and if there is ever a problem, don't hesitate on asking me for advice or just to talk, I'll always try my best to help you, I give you my word. So let's get on to it, shall we?"_

 _After they all nodded in return, Sara handed out the assignments, then she turned and started walking out, but before she left the room, Nicole spoke. "Ms. Sidle." Sara turned around and looked at the younger woman as she continued with a smile. "Welcome to the team, we will do all that we can to help you seek the justice our victims deserve."_

 _She looked at the faces of her young team, seeing the determination in all of them, and she nodded with a smile. "Thank you, and I have no doubts that if we work together, we will go far. Now let's get out there and show these criminals what we can do."_

 _The team stood up with cheers and smiles, and after a shared nod and smile between her and Kevin, Sara walked out with a smile on her face, having no doubts about her ability to lead this team after that display._

 _End of Flashback_

Sara smiled as she turned around and walked out of the room for the last time, or at least not daily anymore, meeting her husband at his vehicle before he drove them towards the familiar beach house.

* * *

After walking in the medium sized house with four bedrooms, he asked with a smile. "You want some tea?"

She nodded with a smile in return. "Yeah, I'll meet you out on the back deck."

"Ok."

When it was done, and Grissom had picked up the glasses, he walked, albeit a little slower these days but can still move on his own, outside, and once he handed Sara's hers, he sits down in the chair next to her before they took sips of their drink, settling in a quiet and calmness atmosphere.

Ten minutes went by with a little small talk before they heard a male voice from inside the house after opening the front door. "Mom, dad?"

Sara smiled brightly when she heard that beautiful voice, which was almost the sound of her husband's, as she turned her head so she was speaking through the screen door. "Yeah, out on the deck."

A few seconds later, instead of seeing their 20 year old son first, a 12 year old girl with bright brown eyes, with braided light brown hair, smiled as she rushed towards Sara. "Mommy."

Sara's bright brown eyes sparkled in return as she brought her daughter into her arms. "Hi, honey."

Amy Grissom became a member of the family at the age of two after her biological parents died in a brutal home invasion/robbery. They never knew why this sweet little girl was spared since the suspect was dead by the time the team found him, but Sara got one look at the little girl and she was instantly smitten, so by the time the case was done and no family members came forward, which by then Grissom was completely smitten as well, they agreed to adopt her.  
And the best thing of all about that situation was that she resembled them enough, especially Sara, that there wasn't hardly any questions on who her biological parents were. Of course Amy knew because Grissom and Sara wanted to be completely honest with her so they told her, but that never changed how she viewed them, or loved them any less. In fact, it only made her love them more, because they choose her to love for the rest of their lives when realistically they could have chosen another child if they wanted to.

As mother and daughter were pulling back, Sara asked with a smile. "So, did you have fun at the movies with your brother?"

Since her brother promised that they could spend the day together, something that's happened more since he moved out of the house, he took her to the movies.

The little girl's face beamed while she nodded. "Yeah, especially when Roxanne showed up, and they were holding hands in the dark."

While Amy greeted her father, Sara looked towards the doorway and raised an eyebrow at her son, which he shyly smiled in return as she asked. "When did this happen?"

With Roxanne Murray being only two months older than him, they naturally became best friends as they were growing up, but neither Sara and Grissom, or Mariah and Devon thought that they would become more than that.

Warrick Arthur Grissom, built like his mother in the body structure and hair color department, while having his father's height, eyes and smile, cleared his throat before answering shyly.  
"Not very long, I guess we needed to be separated to know how we really feel about one another." With Roxanne going to New York City Arts, and him staying closer to home and joining his cousin in UCLA, they don't see one another as often as they did growing up, but they still talk a lot.

He saw his mother about to speak, but he continued before she could. "And yes we are taking things slow, don't need to worry."

Sara nodded with a smile. "That's good to know."

He nodded with a smile as he walked up to his mother, and after giving her a hug, he asked. "So how as your last day at work?"

Sara sighed and spoke as she shard a smile with her husband, who had Amy on his lap, before looking at her considerate and loving son. "It was a little sad, and it will be different not going to the lab everyday and seeing them, but it was time."

He nodded again before smirking, a trait he got from both parents. "It's not like you won't see everybody again, after all they are like family."

They chuckled with nods of agreement before Sara spoke again after clearing her throat. "And speaking of family, your cousins will be here very soon, so can you and your sister please change the sheets in two of the rooms?"

He nodded while Grissom gave his daughter a kiss on the cheek before she got off his lap, then as Grissom and Warrick shared a hug and a handshake, they all hear Amy singing. "Roxanne and Warrick sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g, first comes love..."

As she was continuing, Warrick smirked one more time as he removed his hand from his father's. "I hope you are satisfied with one child." Then he turned around and the look he was giving his sister was a mixture between a playful glare and smile, stopping her singing before she ran inside as Warrick went after her. "You better run, I'm going to get you."

A few seconds later, Sara and Grissom hear a loud giggle, making them chuckle as they looked at one another, and instead of her sitting down in the chair next to him again, she settled on his lap and he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her temple before speaking as they looked out towards the ocean. "So, Mrs. Grissom, as late bloomer parents, I say we didn't do too bad."

She slipped her fingers through his and snuggled closer to him, if that was even possible as she whispered. "I believe you are right Mr. Grissom, and it's been the best 20 years of my life, I'm glad I got to share it all with you."

Not every day was picture perfect, but just like they vowed, they stuck by one another and worked together on what ever problem they had, and they only became a stronger couple for it.

He kissed her temple again before whispering. "Me too, honey. I love you."

Feeling up with emotion, she whispered in return. "I love you too, babe."

And while at times it almost seemed impossible that they would be here like this, enjoying these sweet moments together while hearing their kids laughing, they couldn't have asked for a better life, and with another chapter of their lives closing, they are ready to start and see where this new beginning will take them.

* * *

AN: Please Review. Well, there you have it, I hope at least overall you enjoyed it, a special thanks to those who stuck by me and the story, I really appreciate it very much, you really kept me motivated on updating.

I will be back with new stories soon, so I hope you are all happy about that, but in the meantime you can go back and enjoy any of my other stories :)

Until then, I hope you have a safe and wonderful week, and always remember GSR4ever!


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